First of all, a big shout out to my brother, Bill, for uploading these posts for me. As expected, I cannot access Facebook, my blog or any type of "public" website while in China. So I am e-mailing him and he is doing it for me....:)
The last few days have been non-stop!!!! Friday we got up early, had our luggage packed and ready first thing, then took off for another day of sightseeing. The highlight was Tianamen Square. It was much larger than I expected and very stark and somber. It was hard not to think of the massacre/protest that occurred in 1989. We attempted to fly kites, but were stopped just as the girls were getting their kites up in the air by the many policeman running through the square. Apparently it is a popular past time, but technically forbidden. However, people do it when they can get away with it. Poor Mia is so afraid of getting in trouble she was worried sick even though our guide kept telling them to go ahead and try and the worst thing that would happen is the police would tell them to stop. Sure enough just as Mia was getting hers up, a big police car came roaring down the square, lights blaring and with a big bull horn telling them to stop. Mia was scared to death! I think she thought they were going to be arrested. I guess it's good she has that much respect for the law, but I felt bad she was so traumatized :).
We also visited a local "Hutong", which is basically a "house/home" where several families live vs. a high rise apartment. Beijing has grown so much (13 million people) they have to build up (much like NYC), so the Hutong's are not very common now and are more valuable. We also saw a Silk Carpet Weaving demonstration and I must say, I REALLY appreciate the work, time and effort that goes into making one of those now. They are worth every penny you pay for them! The children also visited a local day center for developmentally disabled adults and spent time "playing" with some of the residents. It was a good experience and the people there make crafts to raise money. Some of them are very talented. The girls made cards and we all bought some of the jewelry and other items for souvenirs.
Then last night was the long awaited overnight train ride. We took a sleeper train from Beijing to Xi'an which took 11 hours. We stayed in a sleeper car for four. Fortunately we knew everyone in our car, which consisted of two bunk type compartments and a small table in between. There was a bathroom down the hall and we just slept, got up the next morning and went to the hotel. The kids got together for awhile and played and visited, but everyone was so exhausted from the previous few days, we crashed pretty quickly after the train left the station at 9:18 p.m.
We arrived at our hotel in Xi'an about 9 a.m., had breakfast, checked into our rooms, showered and then were off again....today was supposedly an "easy" day, but by the end of it at 5 p.m., we were all wondering what was "easy" about it? We visited an art gallery, a Muslim Mosque, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and had Xi'an Jiaozi dumplings for lunch. This is supposed to be a place that is famous for their dumplings. Unfortunately I can't eat any of them due to my celiac, so they fixed me some "special" dishes. But frankly, I am really getting tired of Chinese food. That's exactly how I felt 10 years ago. It's good, but too much of anything isn't necessarily a good thing. Even Mia said today she hates the smell of China and the food. She said "I dont' like breathing or eating here!". I had to chuckle because that pretty much spoils a lot for you. The fact is, she is enjoying herself and she loves the new friends she is making. But I do not think she has ANY desire to "return to her roots". And the fact is, we haven't even made it to the really rural area that she is from. Beijing was VERY modern and progressive. Xi'an is not as large ("only" 8 million people...considered small by China standards), but her hometown Gaozhou is considered a "rural village" of only 2-3 million.
A few things I had forgotten since last trip. The "BYOTP" rule of many public toilets...."bring your own toilet paper". They live by such a code of scarcity here that most pubic bathrooms have no TP, so you have to bring your own. You are rarely given a napkin in a restaurant and have to ask. In the hotels, they do not replenish things like towels and toiletries unless you request it. However, when we eat we are given SO much food it's ridiculous! We always have way more than we can eat. So it's very dichotomous!
Well, it's late here and we will be up bright and early tomorrow. Mia konked out long ago.....she has been doing great as far as keeping up and doing her fair share of lugging stuff and being a trooper. I am very proud of her :). Until I get a chance to write next time..... M & m
No comments:
Post a Comment