Last day in Xi'an to arrival in Beijing
The last day in Xian meant packing our cases that am and heading out for the day to catch a sleeper train that night to Beijing. We did not leave the hotel until 11:30AM. Prior to departure we were to have free time. I slept in some, then worked on my journal which I still have not been successful in posting to the internet. I had planned to go back to the shopping center across the street to get supplies for our train trip to Xi'an but Mark wanted to meet as a group at 10:30AM, so that meant back to the room to have the luggage ready then met with Mark and the students for about 1/2 hour. The problem with the discussion is that the brevity of time does not allow for any depth. It is somewhat lip service to cover shortfall in academics. I think one of the MBA students has been very vocal in expressing this to the MBA dean. I don't know why we met, to me it is a day late and dollar short
to use an old analogy.
The bus took the group to lunch right after we got on the bus. I do not remember the food as being special, other than another outpouring of food again on the table. The meals here have way too much food. Over 1/2 is left on the table and that is with a group of students - even the young guys can not hardly finish off a platter. So we again ritualized at the food trough. From lunch we went to the south gate entrance of the fortress wall that surrounds Xian. This is a fully intact inner city protective wall. The size and dimensions are outstanding. I have a feeling that this is wall will be more significant to me
than the great wall. The condition of the wall is excellent. China continues to maintain and keep up the wall. Once on top nearly everyone rented a bicycle to ride on the top of the wall. It distance is 14 kilometers. There were hardly any tourists up there and weather was warm and a hot dry breeze blowing. It reminded me of Yreka's weather about this time of year. Same breeze that you feel out at the farm and heat.
I enjoyed getting out and moving and being "free". Way to many days of being cooped up and having to be polite and saying excuse me for bumping into someone which is unavoidable in a country of 1.3 billion - whereas 99% reside on 1/3 of the country's land mass. After the bike ride, we walked into the museum called the Forest of Stelae. The museum of stelae tablets with all the chinese characters and important buddist texts. The purpose was to have the monks transcribe from a single source so that there would not be transcription mistakes and hence misinterpretation of religious philosophies. The park comprised of six building of historical stone carved pillars and is interesting and historical important to have a common language.
After the museum the group proceeded back to a hotel where we had had lunch on the first day in Xi'an. The meal consisted of dumplings. I was skeptical of a dumpling meal but it turned out to be one of the best meals yet. Each dumpling was a work of art delicately shaped into the animal shape or vegetable shape that the dumpling contained - Walnuts, turnips, pumpkin chicken, duck, turtle and so forth. After dinner we all celebrated our national tour guides son's HBD. He was away from home on the 15th which happened to be his son's 1st HBD. So we had a party on his son's behalf to hopefully say we remembered and cared. I think he appreciated it.
We were rushed to the train for a 8PM departure to Beijing. Our sleeper car was full and we co-shared with other tourists all english or american. Things finally settled down on the car around 11PM. I did not sleep as well on this coach and I am not sure why as the ride was very smooth. I believe I was so sticky and smelly from the bike ride that I needed a bath to feel relaxed and sleep well.
Arrival in Beijing was on time. We offloaded without our luggage as a separate arrangements were made for luggage from our hotel in Xian. This was primarily due to the fact that people have purchased and brought more luggage than they could carry or handle. What were they thinking. Oh well, I am on a tourist junket.
Upon our arrival to our hotel we put our daypacks with the concergie and then were whisked to breakfast at the hotel. At breakfast we found out that our rooms would not be ready until the afternoon and that we would go sighting in the clothes we had on. I of course was still smelly and dried sweat from the previous day's bike ride. Needless to say many of us were not happy about that information. I hoofed it to the restroom and rinsed my hair and took the best bath I could from the hotel restaurant bathroom. Then I got my dayback from the conceriege and changed clothes. So our day of sightseeing began.
We were dropped off at Tianamen Square were given a political importance speech, no mention of the '89 student protests - not surprising really. Then we went into the forbidden city. It is an exceptionally large complex. The renovation of the buildings is going on in a large scale. The city is preparing itself as fast as it can for the 2008 summer Olympics . Many of the buildings are in need of restoration as the lacquered paint is peeling away from the wood. Several buildings however have been completed and look great. The detail and ornamentation on them is amazing. Hopefully the photos will show that detail.
Again we were given all the dynasty historical information and emporer details. If this were and history, art and architectural trip then this place was right on target. Did I mention the crowds at the Forbidden City. That was probably the most impressive thing. I believe there may have been over 1 million tourists inside. Seriously, it would be able to hold them and we were packed in like sardines. One could barely look inside any of the rooms and had to push and shove to get up to the window for about a 2-5 minute ordeal. Combat touring as Darrell might call it.
From there we went to lunch. Our meals in Beijing have not been of the quality of our previous cities. We are only taken to tourist restaurants . The food is bad, greasy and modified down to common american tastes. French fries, chicken nuggets and the like. Not at all like the food in Wuhan and Shanghei. This is because our national guide subcontracts with a local guide in each city to provide the bus and guide us. Our guide in Beijing is in collusion with certain restaurants to take us to. So we are stuck with this exceptionally poor food probably for the rest of the trip. At least the breakfast at our hotel has fresh fruit and the yogurt is delicious. And that is really on the food I need in the AM to get going.
So after on lackluster lunch of grease we went to see the Temple of Heaven in one of the largest city parks. Inside the park, which you pay an admission fee for, tourist or not was the long hall. This long pavilion is like a social center for many of the seniors. They sing together, play cards, make music and in general congregate for the socialization. Of course the park is cooler with the large trees and green lawns (which you can not walk on). At the end of the park is the entrance to the Temple of Heaven - although I may be wrong here. The temple of Heaven is from the Ming Dynasty. The structure is impressive. You can not go inside but you can see the immense scale of construction and very ornate
decor and painting inside. I thought Byzantine buildings were intricate and busy but the Chinese I believe and exceeded that. So who shared what with whom? That probably would require and art history course in eastern and mideastern art and architecture.
The group was exhausted after a day of touring and still no shower, so we arrived back at the hotel around 3:45PM. After confusion again, the group was checked in and we received our room key. We briefly had an internet connection for about one hour and have not had that connection since, irrespective of our calls to the front desk to reset the network as none of the classmates can get online from the hotel. Anyway, we had about an hour to change clothes and get dressed for dinner. Our dinner was about 30 minutes away on the bus. It consisted of Peking duck as the highlight. The food I do admit was probably the best meal we have had thus far on the trip. As usual I have donated a pair of prescription glasses to a trip abroad and my sunglasses were left at the table. I have not had a chance to ask our tour leader if he could call the restaurant to locate them. Probably this will be yet another loss of stuff while traveling . The tally sheet thus far is my flash stick ($15 USD) and my favorite prescription sunglasses ($250USD). Mind you I also lost glasses in Lucca, Italy on one of my trips abroad. Once back at the hotel we immediately headed out to WalMart so see if we could find some essentials. All of the students headed to WalMart was well. It was funny to see nearly 15 american students (still dressed up from our formal dinner) in Wal-Mart shopping. They stocked up with party supplies for the evening as the group was going out to a dance club later on that evening.
So ends day one in Beijing.
