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TRAVEL BLOG ENTRY
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“A blend of the old and the new” |
Our time in Beijing has been all about ...Health and Safety!China may be an emerging nation but a H&S Exective is a long way off.
We've risked life and limb in the last few days....mainly associated with the taxis and the building sites....the preparations for the Olympics are everywhere.
Kevin,Janet (the parents),Richard and Anna arrrived in Beijing in glorious sunshine and having visited the hotel booked online in England(which was very 'functional' but without character), Anna sorted us out with a lovely hotel near Tiananmen Square which has been terrific (thank goodness for our Chinese 'guide!')
What a great city!So much to take in...a blend of the old and the new. The people are SO friendly and facinated by English speakers (especially if you are 6 feet tall and speak pretty good Chinese).After the usual 'battle' with the chop sticks at lunch, we set off to visit the Hutong - a former red light district (no more!)- which is a tourist attraction made up of old fashioned back streets. We lost count of the number of times the 'natives' approached Richard thinking he could not understand Chinese, only to be taken aback when he spoke to them in their own language. After this we took a taxi (costs about 20p a mile) to see the prepartions for the Olympics - the 'Birds Nest' Olympic Stadium and the 'bubble' Swimming Pool complex, which were as impressive looking as we'd seen on the BBC.However they were clearly a way off being finished. Masses of Chinese construction workers in yellow hats were testiment to this.
Wanting to get the best 'angles' with their cameras, Richard and Kevin set off for suitable vantage points to capture pictures of the near completed Birds Nest. Anna and I followed behind.
Suddenly Richard shouted...'My shoes....I've lost my shoes'. We looked across to see Richard on terra firma in his socks, with his shoes sinking into a bed of cement, freshly laid by some of the army of workers, who were now convulsed in laughter at this 'giant' who was standing, shoeless and 'confused' in front of them. Kevin, Anna and I had to take a few seconds to realise what had happened, but then joined the Chinese workforce in the laughter. Luckily a nearby taxi driver had some bottles of water to wash off the rescued shoes (the only pair Richard had with him)and we wre able to take more shots of the impressive Olympic 'landmark' before making our way back to the hotel. Anna and I set about restoring the shoes to their former glory, using the showers and hairdryeres in our hotel rooms and you would not notice that Richard had made such a mark on the Olympics....5 months before they have even started.
Having had a good nights sleep (hard matresses are a 'feature' of Chinese hotels...but are surprisingly comfortable) we got on the underground train to visit Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Both lived up to their reputation. Tiananmen was full of tour groups of chinese all wearing coloured baseball caps..they are all so obedient. We cannot imagine groups of English people doing the same! The sun was shining but the wind was whipping across the square which made it just a bit chilly. Kevin and Richard caused a bit of a stir wearing only short sleeved shirts and some of the chinese even commented on it. They all seem to wrap up against the elements no matter what the weather. Richard bought a Chairman Mao watch from one of the numerous street traders for 50 yuan (3 quid). What a buy! A classy timepiece with Mao waving at you constantly. Anna then bought two for the same price, such are her bartering skills.
The Forbidden City was quite something although some of it was under renovation probably in readiness for the bonanza of the Olympics.
On Thursday we took a trip to the Great Wall. The trip took in a stop at a jade outlet with lunch thrown in, not sure what the lunch was thrown in but it was very poor much to Anna`s embarassment. For some inexplicable reason, she feels responsible for anything chinese that does not come up to standard. The Great Wall is stunning, snaking across the mountains bathed in sunshine. There are quieter parts to visit but the tour operators don`t go to them. We could not believe the number of elderly Chinese climbing up so many steps and steep slopes, they might look very wrinkly but they seem very sprightly.
In the evening we met two of Richard`s friends, Henrik and Hedda who he had met while travelling, for a traditional Beijing Duck meal. They had found a really swanky restaurant and we sat around a huge round table (those of you who know Janet will realise how impressed she was by this) surrounded by the most wonderful food. Henrick and Hedda were good company and we laughed a lot which made the evening go all too quickly.
Today we all visited the Summer Palace but the weather was so different from the last few days that we almost couldn`t believe it. Snow is forecast for tomorrow! The Palace is set in extensive grounds with numerous temples, superb pagodas and bridges dotted around. Sadly it began to rain so we came away earlier than we might have and in our desire to get to somewhere dry and warm we made the mistake of taking an unlicenced taxi. Not that we realised that this was a mistake until we pulled away. The driver switched on the wipers and the resulting smear on the screen obscured the visibility brilliantly. After a minute or so Janet felt a draught in her nether regions because their was a hole in the bodywork somewhere close by. As if that were not enough the said hole sucked most of the exhaust fumes into the car so necessitating the windows to be opened so making us as cold as we were before we got into the damn thing. To cap it all he stalled it several times in the middle of a three lane highway that was full of very heavy traffic. This was just a little worrying as the only rule of the road here seems to be that there is no rule of the road. Anyway after relocating the elastic band that was the only motive force in this mobile scrap heap we eventually reached our destination which was not where we wanted to go at all! All in all a memorable journey mostly because we laughed so much at the drivers (is that what he was) expense.
Tomorrow Janet and Kevin make their way to Xi`an. Richard and Anna will be sucked back into the ratrace.
previous travel blog entry
Comments or Questions for the Author
The Nanjinger says:
Cheers Grace. I'm loving the account name!
Mummy Janet says:
Mum and Ross Saunders (my 'star' pupil!!) have read the blog instead iof doing Maths and Science!! Ross loved the Cement story and has decided that one day he will visit China. He'll love it too no doubt!!
Hayden Cole says:
Wow rich, just caught up on all your exploits - sounds like you've had an amazing time out there. I hope you have some more fun adventures with sub-zero temperatures :P Was looking through your photos - some fantastic shots in there! Keep updating for us mate! H xxx
carebear says:
sounds like u all had a blast was laughing out loud the whole way (dad kept coming down and asking who i was talking to and to let him in on the joke??) i hope u signed chenlei in the concrete. terra firma- cracked me up