Our 16 day cruise is drawing to a close. We spend one last, relaxing day at sea, sailing from Nagasaki to Xingang (the port nearest Beijing). It is no longer warm, so the pool deck is now void of passengers. What a change from the clamor on Deck 14 on prior sea days. I'm not sure how I managed, but somehow I did get all of the suitcases closed, even with the addition of our purchases -- including three pointy Vietnamese hats. I offered to pack Janet and Jan's because it's just as easy to nest them, rather than all three of us trying to find a place to put them.
Disembarkating at Xingang is faster than we anticipated. It's COLD outside, and the luggage collection is outdoors. In our past experience, luggage collection at disembarkation is usually in a large warehouse facility, at least under cover. As soon as we locate our luggage, we are digging through suitcases for some additional layers of clothing. I wish I had gloves and a truly warm coat! At least I have a "hat" -- another benefit of wearing a wig!
We found a spot of sun to stand in, while we're waiting for our driver and coach from the Beijing Raffles Hotel. Fortunately, Al and Jan R. had the foresight to venture beyond the secured gates of the port, and discover that our escort was there, fortunately early! Compared to all of the other escorts (dozens of them) ours stands out in a regal fashion. He's outfitted in a classic full length red wool coat, adorned with gold buttons and a black fur collar. He's quite handsome indeed. We feel hoity-toity following him to the luxurious large van from Raffles, where we have a driver, in addition to our escort. A quick potty stop first. I decided I really didn't need to go "that bad". . . . another of Asia's yucky squat toilets. One learns to control nature's call. I have to go REALLY bad before I can use a squat toilet, and every so often you do come across a "Western" toilet, usually intended for the handicapped, or I suppose, for #2. Not sure about that, though.
It is a 2 1/2 hour ride from Xingang to Beijing; not an interesting journey. We are struck by the extensive amount of new construction taking place. And, we notice is how seemingly polluted it is; buildings which are not all that far away are in a murky fog. I resort to taking a nap, since we partied with the Russians last night. Alex told us he used to be with the KJB; we're thinking not, but who knows! I'm not exactly sure what he does now, other than "business". Alla owns a German restaurant, which she's rightfully proud of. Her chef is a German man -- not necessarily easy to "manage" at times.
After about an hour on the road we make a pit stop. Unbeknownst to me, Janet and Jan R. are very pleased that we are stopping because they have been watching the driver in the rearview mirror, and he's destined to nod off any minute. I'm contented to continue napping, but Al and Janet insist that I must get out, and look at the puppies for sale at this road stop. Oh my gosh, they are adorable brown fur balls, with black stripes, resembling little teeny tigers. I've never seen this breed! With a twinkle in his eye, our decorous escort informs us that these puppies have been painted to look like this. Bizarre! That might be considered another sort of Chinese knock-off.
Beijing has served as China's cultural, political and administrative capital for more than 700 years. It has been called Chi, Yuchow, Yenjing, Chung-tu, Peking, Peiping, Peking again, and Beijing. The city has experienced dramatic changes since the founding of the People's Republic of China. There are now more than 50 high-rise deluxe hotels, which welcome millions of tourists each year. We have chosen the recently renovated Beijing Raffles, recommended to us by Dennis, our well traveled friend.
Raffles is historic, yet very modern and posh. After checking in, we are accompanied by two charming young gentlement, in white period suits. It seems their mission is only to ensure our comfort -- to provide an overview of the complex and acquaint us with the details of our rooms. The latter is important because the rooms are rather high-tech. In other words, I never did learn how to turn on the overhead light in the bedroom (which was separate from the living room). Al used some gizmo, remote-control dealy-bob to make it happen. Beautiful bath suite (two rooms), and did I mention there was even a bidet? The bath sheets were larger than any I have ever used.
Although Raffles might seem a bit pricey at first glance, you do get your money's worth. We learned that our price included a scrumptious breakfast buffet, as well as complimentary beverages and appetizers on the 4th floor guest lounge between 6:00 and 8:00 pm. Wines are expensive in Asia, so we did our best to get our "money's worth" during these hours. The attractive, delightful attendants in the lounge were happy to indulge us. There were only two downsides to Raffles. Our suites (not to mention the hallway on our floor!) could have been cooler. An immense construction project was taking place across the street. Hundreds of workers in bright yellow hardhats worked seemingly around the clock, under lights in the dark. Clearly, they were going to get something built very rapidly. . . probably in time for the 2008 Olympics. The net result was banging and pounding at all hours.
My chemo induced sweet tooth has dissipated. I've managed to haul around peanut M&Ms since we left SeaTac airport three weeks ago! Al and I devour them now, because we're really hungry after the drive from Xingang, and we can't wait for lunch. Never, in the past year, would a bag of M&Ms have lasted three weeks in my care! Three minutes would have been the norm.
Our "tourist" destination that first afternoon is the Silk Street Market. I had envisioned an outdoor market, and it was the complete opposite. A convenient three stop ride on Beijing's efficient (and clean) subway dropped us underneath the market. As we ascended the stairs, we found ourselves in a four story shopping mall, packed with vendor upon vendor. It's colorful, and I sure didn't have to worry about rats (which I haven't forgotten since the Nha Trang sighting!). The market is awash with brand names of leather goods, parkas, shoes, etc. -- all fakes, at bargain prices, since Randi taught us how to haggle while we were in Shanghai. There are silk shawls, bolts of silk fabric, rows and rows of jewelry, men's and women's clothing, luggage, tableware, glassware, inks, scrolls, even golf clubs! We enjoyed the market so much, all of us (except Ernie) decided to make it our priority again, on our last day in Beijing.
On Saturday we arranged to spend the day with a tour guide, provided by the concierge at the hotel. Emilly met us at 10:00, and we headed off to Tiananmen Square. It is the largest public square in the world, with Mao's portrait presiding over it. It was an incredible experience, with masses of people as our tourist comrades. Emilly told us that as the Chinese standard of living has improved, Chinese people from the countryside can afford to travel for the first time, and thus there are many tour groups from outside of Beijing. It seemed as though we could pick out the non-urbanites. They found us fascinating, and we wondered if perhaps some had never seen a Caucasian before. Emilly explained that we foreigners are called "Lao Wai", which means "Old Stranger". In this instance, "old" references respect, not age. This term originates from the 12 century when Marco Polo first visited China. The Chinese thought him to be a god because of his Italian features. They gave him gifts of tea and food with the hope of joining the dragon in Heaven. A side note, they apparently didn't revere him so much on subsequent visits. They figured it out.
Hawkers are selling kites, postcards, books and stuff in Tiananmen Square. Although they can be somewhat obnoxious, it's easy to ward them off with a shake of the head and a firm "xie xie" -- just remember to pronounce it "shi shi", and not "gee gee". I learned that lesson in Taipei!
Al figures there must have been a million people and the adjoining Forbidden City. A million people and seemingly only a handful of us "Lao Wai". Absolutely adorable children, waving little Chinese flags. So, did you know what the yellow stars on the flag represent? The large star represents the government, the four smaller stars honor farmers, laborers, the military and business people.
I was also particularly drawn to the larger than life countdown digital clock, anticipating next summer's Olympic Games. After I had draggged Al over there, and we returned to the pre-determined rendezvous point, under Mao's portrait, we realized we might not be in the right place. Oh oh. How do we find the others in this sea of people?? Maybe it was supposed to be under Mao, but before crossing underground to the Forbidden City side of the boulevard. I told Al I would stay planted right where I was, and he could go look for the gang. He found Gary first. How happy we were when we saw the blond heads appear among all of the dark silky black haired people!
I was feeling confused about Mao's looming portrait and the honor bestowed upon him. From my (albeit limited) reading, it seemed like his Cultural Revolution was a bust, and the Chinese people suffered hunger and poverty during the reign of his regime. Emilly explained that the prevailing thinking is that he was human, after all, and he was 70% right for eliminating the feudal system and creating equality. And 30% of the time, he basically goofed. I guess that's probably a fair perspective, especially if you are a good tour guide, and enjoy the benefits of this coveted and prestigious profession.
Next we begin to enter the 250 acre Forbidden City (800 buildings and 9,000 rooms), made up of palaces, pavillions and courtyards, and surrounded by a moat (of course!). It is called the Forbidden City because for 500 years commoners were not permitted within its gates. It was home to the emperors of the Ming and the Qing dynasties. Construction began in the early 1400s during the reign of emperor Yongle. Most of today's buildings are post-18th century rebuilds and rennovations because earlier wood structures were regularly going up in flames.
Emilly told us many stories about the emperors and their elitist lifestyles. The royal court was full of cocubines (100s of them), eunuchs, and rituals imbedded in superstition. For example, the concubine could only spend a set number of hours with the emperor because a) she might decide to murder him, b) the empress wouldn't want her to stay an excessive amount of time, or c) the emperor might get bored.
The immensity of the Forbidden City finally overwhelms the visitor. It's like getting an overdose in any museum. And, try flowing through it with hundreds of thousands of your closest friends. After we moved through a narrow passageway, where we were all totally squished together, with the rest of humanity, we all decided we'd had enough! I, most certainly, was ready for a shopping opportunity, and had been pestering Emilly along the way about where I might buy postcards. She kept promising me a store. Finally, we reached it! She shared a story about the nephew of the last emperor, Puyi. In recent years, the nephew had asked the government for permission to be on the grounds of the Forbidden City. He certainly wasn't going to be permitted to live there, but since he possesses an acknowledged talent for Chinese calligraphy, he was granted approval to create his art and sell it in the gift shop. I was on a mission to meet this man! I might add, I was the only one in the group who was on this mission. He was a dapper gentleman, in his 60s. I was honored to shake his hand and say "Ni hao". I would have liked to take his picture, but one must purchase his artwork to have that privilege. What am I going to do with a 3' x 6' Chinese scroll? I settled, instead, for buying some cloisonne white cat ornaments.
Emilly had done a terrific job of telling us all about these important historic sites. We got a chuckle out of her habit of saying "Am I clear?" after she had completed a story. We wouldn't have told her she wasn't clear anyway. Sometimes it was simply information overload, and more detail than the mind could possibly absorb (that's when Ernie would begin to stray....). But, we thought her "Am I clear?" was very cute.
On cue our driver met us, and we were headed to lunch ("the eating plan") and the Great Wall. Much to the men's chagrin, the lunch restaurant is attached to a Jade Factory. Horrors! Admittedly, this is a tactic that is used by tour guides to lure their passengers into a purchase (guides receive kick-backs). Emilly had been such a knowlegeable tour guide, and so genuinely pleasant, I thought we should just put up with it, and be gracious, rather than hassling her about this minor deviation. Steve was the only boy who joined us on the brief tour. We learned how Jade is mined, and were instructed how to detect Jadite, which is the highest quality of jade, and sounds like a singing bird when tapped against a hard surface. That's how to distinguish it from plastic or glass imitations. The Jadite jewelry is really very pretty, but in this particular case, we girls knew we'd better not linger in the vast store. We know how to read those signals.
At lunch we dined family style, and once again took pictures of Jan R. wrestling with her chopsticks. Emilly gave her further instructions. I'm not sure that we made any further progress during this phase of instruction. Then it was onward.... to the Great Wall.
You haven't really been to China if you haven't seen the Great Wall. The orignal wall was started in 220 BC during the Qin dynasty. Walls were constructed separately by various kingdoms. The purpose of the Wall was to create a line of defense against marauding nomads, but it wasn't highly effective because the sentries were commonly bribed. Instead, it worked well as an elevated highway across mountainous terrain.
We are visiting the Juyongguan section of the Wall, which is 50 km northwest of Beijing. It is easily accessible, but also steep and strenous (an understatement!). Gary, Al, Steve, Jan E. and I set off for the "summit". It is an endless series of stairs -- some even, and others very steep and unpredictable. We climb for about 45 minutes, passing numerous false summits. Isn't that they way it always is on a hike? It's a beautiful view, and we are certainly getting our aerobic exercise for the day! The funny thing is that we purposely bought knock-off ski jackets the day before, anticipating that we would be cold at the Wall. Instead, we are peeling off layers as we huff and puff, sweating our way to the top. At $28 - $35 US for a ski jacket, it's still a good buy, even if we don't need them here. We can use them at home, and see if they actually hold up in wet weather. That will be the litmus test! That is, unless they get confiscated by Customs when we land on US soil....
Our final climb is up a very narrow enclosed staircase, to the top of a tower. It's a Kodak moment, and then it is definitely time to descend because we can see dusk starting to loom. You wouldn't want to be heading down those stairs in the dark. I think I'd rather sleep on them overnight. About halfway down, much to our surprise, we run into Ernie! Good for you, Ernie! He had started climbing and kept on going. He was very proud of his authentication certificate, stating that he had climbed the Wall. How many Yuan was that, Ernie? I think it was about 6 Yuan, so less than "one dollah". Whatever makes us happy!
Have I said what a total delight Emilly was? Her Chinese name is Chen (the family name) Yin Huan. Her name means "Silver Ring". When she graduated from Tour Guide School (which is a really big deal), she asked her college English professor to help her select an English name. That's how she ended up being Emilly. She told us about her family, which lives a full day's train ride to the south. She and her two sisters are the oldest, and then come two boys. To put it mildly, she doesn't feel the boys are very industrious. Although her father and mother love each other very much, after the three girls, he was thinking he should divorce her in order to have a boy. Fortunately, Mrs. Chen was progressive enough to advise her husband that the sex of a child is determined by the male. You tell him, Mrs. Chen!
I started to wonder, how do the Chinese create characters for words which represent new technology? Well, they are very creative indeed. Here are a couple of examples:
Computer -- two characters, Electric Brain
Cell Phone -- three characters, Hand Electric Word
Being a tour guide is a prestigious, well paying profession. Emilly doesn't want her "elderly" parents to have to work, so she helps them out financially. Imagine our surprise when we learned that these "elderly" parents are in their early 50s. All of us, including Emilly, got quite a laugh out of this when we told her how ancient the eight of us are! Somewhere along the course of the day, Steve managed to get us invited to Emilly's condo for dinner. What a treat for us to be invited to real life home in Beijing! Emilly purchased the condo entirely on her own, and moved in just a month ago. She was very excited to invite us, as her first foreign guests.
Without question, we are equally excited to be going to Emilly's, after we drop our stuff at Raffles. There is a clandestine air to the whole outting. For reasons, which we probably only understand in part, Emilly prefers to have her friend pick us up at McDonald's on Wangfujing Dajie, around the corner from the hotel. While we wait for Emilly, we are amused by looking at our favorite McDonald's menu items with Chinese writing. The restaurant is hopping, just like it would be at home on a Saturday night.
Emilly's friend, Mr. Van, picks us up in his tour bus. He has been a mentor and a supportive friend to her, since she got in the business. Tonight he will be Emilly's co-chef. She told us she lived near the hotel. Perhaps she does, by Beijing standards, but it was at least a 25 minute drive. "Close" would normally mean walking distance in my book. Our first stop is her local supermarket, which is only open until 9:00 pm, so we must hurry to purchase the ingredients for tonight's feast. The store is bright, clean, modern and of course, completely fascinating to us. We are the fascination for everyone else in the store.
After the meats, seafood and veggies have been selected, we are on the second level of the store. Emilly seems to be struggling with something, and then we learn that she only had a couple of bowls, and a limited number of chopsticks. This is perfect because we wanted to buy her a housewarming gift anyway! We ask her to select the bowls she needs, and her preference of additional chopsticks. Now, this made me laugh because I could tell she was leaning towards the metal ones, but was afraid they would be too hard for us "Lao Wai" to use. We had to insist that she go with the ones that she would like to own.
Her home is in a high rise, on the 16th floor. The indoor entry opens to a tidy corridor, with house shoes lined against the wall. The kitchen is a separate room to the left, followed by a nice little bathroom (with a Western toilet). The large room is at the back, with a view of city lights. She has a large bed, an armoir, and a computer workstation. The computer table can swing out, and doubles as a small dining table. We all make ourselves comfortable on the bed, and proceed to sample the selections of Chinese wine from the supermarket.
The dishes prepared by Mr. Van and Emilly are fantastic, and rival any Asian food we've eaten to date. Emilly had lost one of her pretty earrings during the day. She thought probably at the Great Wall. I had an idea ... to give her a pair of my earrings, which were fresh water pearl drop earrings, made by my former neighbor, Janice. Emilly loved them! I'm so glad.
We were sorry to see the evening end, but Emilly had another tour group at 10:00 the next morning. She should have just stayed home, and let Mr. Van drive us back, but no.... the crazy girl comes with us! By the time she would have returned, the elevators would be shut off, and she would have to walk the 16 flights of stairs to her condo. That's an advantage of being 25 years old. She taught us "Wo ai ni" -- I love you. We love you too, Emilly. What an incredible ambassador for Beijing!
Zai Jian! (Bye-Bye)
