This was our first experience traveling on a fast train. It was like traveling by air but with 50% more leg room and no turbulence!! The train speed was between 300 and 305 kilometers per hour. We were "cookin" down the track. There really wasn't much to see besides farm land and city buildings but then again, we were going so fast, we didn't see them clearly anyway. It was a nice experience. We thought we might take the train east to the coast and Qingdao or south to Nanjing or Shanghai some time for a weekend. (We have BYU teachers in all those places).
Nancy posing in front of the train after we arrived in Beijing
The train was full of passengers, but you can see
it is quite spacious and new.
We enjoyed the high speed train!
We arrived in Beijing around 5 pm (rush hour) on a Friday night. You think traffic is bad in Portland, or Philly, or LA? We were told to get a cab and have them take us to the theater where we were to see an acrobatic show or to the restaurant where the group was having dinner. We knew where the theater was located, (Google maps) and saw that there was a subway stop there. Instead of taking a cab, we got onto the subway, made two transfers and arrived at the restaurant the same time the group did. (They had been stuck in traffic for hours) Subways run on a very strict schedule and we knew that it would have to be much better than traveling on surface streets. The subway, however, was also VERY crowded. We were not sure if we were going to get on at one spot. We had to cram ourselves, with our luggage, into a sardine can. We were lucky that Nancy wasn't crushed by the closing door. Though crowded, people were pleasant to us and we really had no problem negotiating our way around Beijing.
The acrobatic show was unbelievable! We have often heard how great the Chinese acrobats are and we had seen an act on our cruise to Alaska a few years ago. But this show was incredible. The final act consisted of 8 gas powered motorcycles driving around in formation and doing extreme maneuvers in a round metal cage on a stage. We just couldn't believe that they did what they did. The other acts were equally impressive.
Pictures of the acrobatic show didn't turn out so well.
Saturday morning we boarded the bus and went to the Great Wall which is located some 30-40 kilometers north of the city. It took most of the time on the bus to just get out of Beijing. The weather was clear, (NO SMOG), but quite cold. There was a strong wind blowing in from Siberia so we had to bundle up. We didn't bring our Winter clothes but had enough to keep us from freezing. Hiking to the top of Tower #8 at the Badaling access point of the wall warmed us up. Only six of us took on that challenge.
Tower #8 is at the very top
We enjoyed spending time at the Great Wall. It is a very unique site and we also felt a bit of awe as we thought about what we were doing and just where we were at that moment. We understand why the wall is one of the great "wonders of the world."
One thing that we have learned here in China. There is no such thing as a slow day. No matter where you go to visit a tourist site in China, it is crowded. Go to the grocery store at any time, it's crowded. Want to walk down the street, it's crowded. Go eat somewhere, it's crowded. Ride the bus, its crowded or very crowded. And, the Chinese do not get in a line. You just maneuver your way to the front. Our tour guy said, "Do not be considerate, or you will miss the train!!"
A few other highlights of our weekend included: walking across Tiananmen Square with many marching soldiers and several people lined up to see Mao's tomb; walking through the Forbidden City built in 1406 and used by several emperors and concubines until 1925; visiting the Summer Palace, an imperial retreat with gardens, lakes, paintings, etc.; an evening stop at the 2008 Olympic site to view the "Bird's Nest"; eating Peking Duck; strolling through the Silk Street Market; and just generally enjoying visiting with other BYU teachers.
This is inside of the Forbidden City. One of hundreds of buildings
Forbidden City
Also, Forbidden City
This picture was taken at the Summer Palace on the lake. That is not a boat behind Nancy, but a stone structure that looks like a boat.
Also part of the Summer Palace
Olympic "Bird's Nest" site of 2008 opening and closing ceremonies. It was very cold that evening.
One another highlight for the week; our heat was turned on in the apartment!! We thought it would be minimal, but we are a cozy 73 degrees!! Plus the only spot to store our toilet paper is on the radiator. So not only do we live in a "gated community" (see previous blogs) but we have heated toilet paper!!
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