Good Morning. I had a good night sleep at the Shangri-La hotel and headed down for breakfast. I am on the 20th floor. Yesterday Drew texted me after I check in and asked me if I had felt the earthquake. A wave of fear came over me....I was on the 20th floor of a hotel in Beijing! I thought he was joking, but apparently not. He said it was about a 20 second earthquake in Tianjin and Beijing! And NO I didn't feel it, thank goodness!! I didn't need any more anxiety about flying solo in China.
Now, just so you know, I have traveled solo many times before, but there was something unnerving about being alone in China. My major anxiety was the lack of language and communication skills. I have been in 27 different countries and able to at least read street signs, but China is different in that they do not use the alphabet, they use Chinese characters! Unidentifiable ones at that. Not even Garmin would help me here!! Drew seems to have a handle on the characters and language. As time went on throughout the week of travel with him, he very much impressed me with his Mandarin. The only thing I have been able to master (and apparently not very well due to the giggles) is 'how are you' (hi'how) and 'thank you' (shei-shei)!!
Well, I headed to breakfast. Just so you know, I have had the same breakfast for 8 days in a row.... I call it the Ho Jo special, hahaha. A little dim sum, sauteed mushrooms, salmon and fruit. Leo, my guide, picked me up. And yes, my guide is a private guide!! A little bit different than the past week on BigBus!! Drew and I have been on the fly/loosey goosey/ wherever the wind blows us, for tours and reservations. I love Expedia.com!! We have booked fabulous expensive, five star hotels, The Royal Palace, Ho Jo, Westin for less than $120 a night, and have had great City tours. I booked the Beijing part of my trip in Minneapolis because I knew I would be alone and thought meeting other tourists and getting to know them and their lives would be interesting. Apparently this was NOT going to happen!! But I have had fun getting to know Leo (his adopted American name).
Our first stop was Tiananmen Square. The Square is anchored in each corner by government buildings. The Square is the largest public square in the world and one million chinese people shoulder to shoulder would fill the square. The square was bustling with people, not just tourists. It had two major jumbotrons and lots of photo ops!! We walked toward the Forbidden City and observed a 20 foot by 20 foot picture of Mao. Tiananmen Square has a storied past and it felt eerie to be standing on grounds that were once filled with revolting people.
Next was The Forbidden City, built by third Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, is amazing. The colors and patterns of each building are vibrant and beautiful. After one building is another one, and another one, and another one...it just keeps going. The Emperor had buildings for meetings, food, bathing, reading, relaxing, concubines, you name, he had it! Beautiful and loaded with tourists!! The yellow roofs were ordered by the Emperor to signify the color of the earth. The red on the buildings signifies happiness forever.
We walked for several hours and our driver picked us up for lunch. Before ordering, Leo asked if I was able to use chopsticks...I answered a quick yes!! A typical Beijing cuisine lunch was ordered....chicken, pork, rice, and pear salad. It was good, even though half of it was on the table and my lap!! Hahahaha! I guess Leo will think twice before going any place for food with me again.
Next we drove to the northern part of the city, to the fabled Summer Palace. The decor of buildings and colors were identical to the Forbidden City, however, the area also had pavilions, bridges and gardens. The Summer Palace sits on a beautiful lake and it was noticeable cooler than the The Forbidden City. The Emperor had ordered the building of the Summer palace as a break away from the city. I can see why the Emperor would travel to this part of the country to get away...kinda ike Minnesotans and their lake cabins, except not as lavish!! The pavilion was the longest walkway with over 800 pictures painted on the beams, absolutely gorgeous and beautiful walkway!!s
On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a silk factory. Very cool. They showed the entire process of making silk and then had a huge display room to purchase items. All I wanted to do was lay down and take a nap on the silk blankets...ufda, they were soft. I restrained myself from buying out the factory in even light of the fact that they could shrinking wrap anything you purchased to fit in your suitcase!! hahahaha
I made it back to the 20th floor and immediately took my shoes off and relaxed. The rest of the evening was spent downloading pictures and skyping with family!! What a day and tomorrow was going to be even better!! Estimated time of departure: 8:00 a.m. Leo will be here with bells on his feet!!
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