A Journey to Well Known Places

My second day in Beijing was quite an experience. This is a city a significant contrasts. You can easily see that they are modernizing rapidly, but you can also see the vestiges of where they were not long ago.

Last time I wrote I was still having trouble with the electricity in my room and was going to randomly pick a menu item at a restaurant. Well, they both turned out well. When I got back to my room in the afternoon my electricity was STILL off. I put my bag down and went straight back to the front desk and very politely asked for another room. My electricity does not work I said. ‘OK, I call house keeping’ (Which she did). House keeping? I thought. They have electricians changing the sheets? ‘OK, house keeping come, you go now.’ Pardon. ‘You go now’ she says again more emphatically as she points up. Oh, I should go back to my room and meet housekeeping you mean? So up I go and sure enough there is house keeping. I let the dimunative aged woman into my room. She flips the switches and tries to turn on the TV. Nothing. I am feeling vindicated. She takes the remote and tries to turn on the TV like that. Nothing. Perfect. She she smiles at me, picks up my key card and inserts into a little slot by the door. Instantly the lights come on, the AC starts blowing, and the TV lights up. DOH. She pulls the card out. It all turns off. OK, I get it now. Thanks. But just to be sure I understand she beckons me over and has me do it. In and out and in again. ‘OK’ she says and leaves.

It is now about 5:30pm and I am really starting to drag. I decided to treat myself to a sit down restaurant. I went in and there was a flurry of hushed conversation at the waiters station. Fiinally one of the young ladies (the unlucky one) came to my table with a menu and started asking my questions that sounded alot like ’shee shee sure hie ba’. ‘Hello’ I replied. She started to panick a little. I could see it in her eyes. I started to scan the restaurant for things that looked appealing. Then she opened the menu. 5 pages of pictures front and back with prices in arabic numerals. Awesome. This was going to be easy. I relaxed; she relaxed and continued to hover while I perused the menu. ‘Give me a minute’ I said. Nervous laugher. ‘She ba wa ko sa?’ I was asking me what I wanted to drink so I said Tsing Tao, the most popular beer in China. Panick started to set in again. I repeated ‘Tsing Tao.’ Now she was really flustered. Luckily across the room I spotted a cooler. I resolved to drink whatever was chilled in the cooler, got up and walked over. The waitress followed at a short distance. It was beer after all. I pointed. ‘Ah’. She held up one finger. I held up one finger and nodded. Success. I order a great meal of spicy pork and vegetables….grand total 28 yuan or $3.65. Picture below.

The next day I got up and wandered down the street. I saw some locals eating soup and dumplings so I sat down next to them. Completely unphased the cook lady asked me what I wanted. I pointed to the wanton soup with cilantro and sesame. She served me. I pointed again to the fresh steamed dumplings. Again they appeared. I was delicious. I wanted to take a picture, but I was sitting with locals and already felt conspicious. Grand total….4 yuan or $.52.

Then it was off to the forbidden city. Great, wonderful, overwhelming, BIG. I spent 6 hours walking around. My feet hurt, I was tired, and I was hungry when it was all over. On my way back to the subway station I started talking to a Brit on vacation that was headed to Tianamen square for the nightly lower of the flag. I tagged along. I took some pictures, but my camera battery died at the last minute and I did not get the shots of the honor guard or the actual lowering. Oh well. Now I was really tired and really hungry. Back to the room. Ditch the day pack, go down the street to pick up food to bring back to the room. It is now about 9:30. I am ready to eat and go to bed. HOWEVER, my room key no longer works. I sigh and go back down to the front desk. ‘You pay more deposit, you not pay enough.’ What are you talking about I say in my best fake calm voice. Then she prints up a bill for 1200 yuan in phone charges. ‘You pay now’ she said. The hell I do. I explain that I used my calling card to make those charges. 1 1/2 hours go by and still no resolution. Seems they can’t figure out if I should be charged or not. Finally I go to my room, eat, and go to bed. This morning when I checked out they declared that ‘yes’ I was liable for the charges. I put my phone charges on a second debit card and a probably going to contact my bank to stop payment.

Thats all I have for now. I hope you are well.

Snap fish link to more pictures
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=162799403/a=93530185_93530185/t_=93530185

So, I board the plane and I have been given the best seat in coach. The aisle seat next to the emergency exit. In a 747 there is a four foot by four foot area in front of the exit so I got to stretch out and sleep for hours on end.

I arrived in Beijing at 5Am, caught a cab and made my way to the hotel. The first thing I noticed was the that only the entrance way light came on….the rest of the switches did not work. And it was small. I wouldn’t give it three stars, but I am not complaining. The next thing I noticed was that they are a total tourist trap. They triple the prices of their water and internet (and likely everything else) so stupid tourists like me will buy them…which I did. I truth though, coming from the US, Beijing in relatively inexpensive. I bought some fresh fried bread and two pancake thingys with some spicy paste on them off the street for 3 yuan. There are 7.7 yaun to the dollar. An hour at the internet cafe is 20 yuan and this is the overpriced tourist one with a big sign outside that says INTERNET CAFE in neon across from Tianamen square. I went to super walmart to stock up on shampoo, sun screen, and other stuff I couldn’t take on the plane and I loved it. I wish I had a kitchen to make some of the stuff I saw in there or atleast how to order it at a restaurant. Tonight I am going to walk into a roadside dinner I saw and randomly point at a menu item. Wish me luck.

Tianamen square is big and very patriotic. I am going to explore more shortly. Having successfully figured out the subway system, tomorrow I am going to start sight seeing for reals. Mao’s memorial is closed for renovations though. Oh well. I might even include some pictures on my next posting. Cheers everyone.

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