Beijing: so much to do and so little time....

This exciting dragon boat carried us from the forbidden city to the summer palace

We had gotten enough sleep on the plane that we were ready for the day.

They took us to the motel and we got our rooms .... then went down to breakfast.  The buffet was amazing.  It must have had 100 dishesl....   We hooked up with a great couple, Kathy and Dave Anderson and ate with them... then....   it came out Dave was fluent in Mandarin.     
We caught a taxi and told the driver we wanted to go to the canals that ran behind the imperial forbidden city and ride up to the summer palace and zoo.   Although the cabbie was from Beijing he had never heard of it.  He was a great sport and he actually found the landing and the ticket office.

David and me at the docks before we took off... this little ride took about an hour: it started from the forbidden city and ended at the summer palace: the zoo was by the summer palace: much much funner than a taxi with the smog and traffic

   He was as excited as we were!   The boat landing had a tiny little ticket office window.  The boats were glorious yellow dragons.....  I was so excited that they were so unique!  (there is one behind us on our profile picture.)
We rode the boat up and looked at the river sights.  It was  interesting to see the people down swimming  and washing themselves in the canal.   (yucky icky water...)  and we  looked up at the houses that lined the canal....    There were lots of Chinese tourists on the ride:... With the exception of David, me, Kathy and Dave everyone was Chinese.  The whole  trip there was a tour guide lady  who had a bull horn and  was yelling and yelling into it.

summer palace dog/dragon. people stood in line to get their pictures taken with it: then several of them asked us to stand with them too.

   Telling the sights.... pointing and gestering and yelling  at the top of her lungs and with no break.   ....   it was really kind of amusing.... we had no idea what she was saying but occasionally people would react to what she said and look happy or laugh.....
We saw the zoo from the boat (which consisted of very little exept some signs) then switched to a new boat and rode on to the summer palace.  The summer palace was built by the dowager empress wixi and a lot of it was built with money that was supposed to be for the military /  navy.  she actually built a huge marble boat shaped house on the water.   what moxie.    The palace was incredible.  It had islands and walkways that threaded up and around.

the bridge at the summer palace

  It was so beautifully painted and the landscaping was wonderful.  They had rooms set up as museums .. row upon row of Imperial treasures.. some of the works were carved jade and they were incredibly intricate and detailed.  Wonderful trees and scenes.  It was like walking though a story book.    And it was hot ...hot... hot ..... 90's and very humid. ....Dave Anderson kept buying us water......thank goodness he was there.... It was a life saver to keep hydrated ....  I would feel myself drooping and he would get more water.... 
  The grounds were perfectly manicured and spotless.  It is really a credit to the  grounds persons and that it was so clean.   It was golden week and there were so many people to pick up after.

david and i at the summer palace..

.

There was so much we didn't get to see even a 1/4 of it although we were there almost 4 hours.   We could see a huge, long line of people standing on a staircase that meandered up the hill about 5 blocks away from us.  We decided to skip that part as we would be in line a long time and we were out of the time we had allocated.  Then we went back to the boats to ride to the zoo..... and we actually saw it instead of trying to look through the trees of the canals.

We loved the zoo.   It was kind of run down and not as clean as most tourist places but it was full of happy Chinese tourist families on vacation....   and ..... get this...... zoo employees  with bull horns stood and yelled where to stand and how to get into line.

View Larger Video

Shanghai, Beijing, Xi'an, Terracotta soldiers: a quick video with music that shows shots from our Friendly Planet Tour: A Taste of China ... Enjoy!

.... then we went into the panda area and..... yikes.... they were in there also (closed glassed area)  with a bullhorn telling people where the panda was and what he was doing.  (poor thing appeared to be trying to get some shuteye)  We found it very surprising that it was so  noisy.   It seems like the noise would stress the animals..  (.It was crowded  and there were hundreds upon hundreds of families out as this week is labor week and every one is off work to be with their families:  It is a huge huge national holiday that lasts 7 days.   the kids are all only children so the parents and grand parents are so attentive and catering to them.   sometimes I felt sorry for the adults....)    anyway.

Panda at the zoo.... this was very interesting to go to.

... back to the zoo and the bullhorns.....   

We walked outside and there was yet another panda.   He lumbered across a raised bed and the people with the bull horns went wild yelling exactly what he was doing.   there were several of bullhorners and it was as though they were competing on the cacophony....   but it was really funny.   When we walked over,  (along with a couple hundred Chinese people to take a picture) the guards didn't think we had the right angle and redirected us to a better viewing area.  And people gestured and cleared the way pointing and smiling to help us get pictures from just the right vantage point, ... how sweet.  And really kind as they too were on vacation .

they bring a whole duck and slice it at your table. I got one piece that was all bone. I tried and tried different parts then we realized it was the head because we saw the beak... yikes. It was funny. I tried the brain. It tasted like chicken :)

We are celebrities here.   We have been asked to stand with 20 people or so to have their pictures taken with us.   And we are stared at intently by every pair of eyes where ever we go.  Sometimes people would stare and walk and  then walk off the sidewalk edges or into poles.... Yikes.....   We are getting used to it but it's a little unnerving.   They are not unkind but David is 6'6 and I am very blond so we are sort of an oddity.  We are friendly and smile so people feel they can approach us..... 

We caught a taxi and went to a Peking duck dinner.

the yellow dragon boat that traveled from forbidden city to summer palace

  The building  was 6 floors high.  Although we were number 57 it took only 20 minutes to get in.   We were the only non Chinese there.   We were the center of attention when we walked into the dining room;.   Several people took our picture (sitting and eating...)  and one little girl walked over and asked if she could take the picture.  She took a couple then our friend, David,  spoke to her in mandarin.  I gave her some American coins.   She was very excited......  Traditionally Chinese say no when you give them something.   You need to ask them to take it 3 times.   She reallllly wanted the coins but said no.... no..... then an elated thank you!!!!   She was so happy that I insisted.

the boat at the dock: the dock is hard to find.

...  It was a little risky saying no.... what if I had not known to insist???   She was so darling!

Peking duck is eaten a certain way:    They bring out an entire duck....   then they cut it.  the skin is on a plate to be dipped in plum sauce and eaten.  the meat is dipped in plum sauce, then put onto a thin crepe (sorry spelling problem here.... pancake that is very very thin)  and some thinly sliced onions are put on it then it is rolled carefully and the bottom folded up then it's eaten.  it must be in this order.   (or the waitress gets very worried and gives you the lesson on eating again...)   We got fruit drinks but they seemed a bit old and they weren't chilled so we left them....