Today started out in a great way... BREAKFAST! It was a buffet full of international options. So, had some eggs and oatmeal. Tried a steamed bun. Finished with pain du chocolat because... it is delicious. Why not eat French pastries in China?
Next, we piled in a tour bus with 17 other souls and rode to Tiananmen Square. Interesting to hear the guide's description of Mao. This was our first taste of the Beijing crowds. Holy Hann a's h Banana!!! So very many people. Scott and I were very glad we chose to go with the group because all the signage was in Chinese and there were special lines for groups. The regular line was over 2 hrs long. I guess they've been turning people away recently as they prep for their 70th anniversary. Anyway. Very very crowded.
Then, we crossed the road into a cypress grove. It was deserted. I don't know why, but the crowds all went around. Yea for us!!! I also used my very first Chinese toilet. Biggest difference between here and home is in the bathroom. Not only do most toilets require you to squat, toilet paper is BYO only and cannot be flushed. From there, we headed to the Forbidden City. Lots of neat architecture, stories, artifacts. The tour guide got particular pleasure from describing the rice, linen, porridge, herbs and egg whites used to treat the wood. Then of course, they had to use pig blood to finish it off.
Inside the museum were a few transplanted terra cota warriors! We were disappointed not to be able to go out to Xi'an, but we did get to see some!
At this point, the group went out for a buffet style lunch. I miss water. You can't drink the tap water here. Everyone is content with tea or soda, but after waking miles, I just want a gallon of water. Scott and I are conspiring to get more for tomorrow.
After the late lunch, Scott and I ditched the group and headed to the Summer Palace. We climbed to the top of the Longevity Hill to see the Incense Buddha and enjoyed the views as we caught our breath. So very many stairs. Totally worth it. Then we meandered around the waterfront and found a spot to watch the sun set. We knew the buildings closed early, but we didn't realise that they'd close the courtyard entrance too. When we tried to leave, they pointed us to another exit... about 3/4mi away. Oh yea, and the subway station was by the now-closed entrance. So, we did some random walking in the dark by the water, under trees, in super rich neighborhoods. Eventually, we got on the subway, right as all the high schoolers were headed home. So. Many. People.
We eventually made it back to the hotel around 830. We ordered spicy noodles from a shop we passed on the way. Today's walking totaled 14 miles. Whew!
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