Beijing, China (Sunday)

***
Sunday

I was planning on leaving at 8am, but left more around 9:30am. BUT I finally got down to breakfast. Nothing fancy, just cereal, a croissant and some watermelon (which oddly enough I'd been served every day in China). I said goodbye to Allie, they were leaving around noon, I wasn't leaving until 6pm. I left my bags with the concierge and set out for my first stop...To see some Pandas!

I took a taxi to the closest subway stop, it wasn't impossible to walk there but I probably saved 30 minutes of walking with a 5 minute cab ride. I felt pretty good about knowing where I was going. I got the right train to the zoo and only had a few minutes to worry about finding the zoo once I got off the subway. Turns out the ticket office was directly outside the subway stop.

I got to the zoo, bought my Panda special exhibit ticket, and went straight for the pandas. I know they have lots of other animals and exhibits, but I was trying to be time-wise. The pandas were spread out in several different habitats (because they're solitary) and it was great. Minus the crushing, sweaty throng of Asians. It was really only packed at one of the panda habitats. The panda had fallen asleep pressed right up against the plexi glass and you could see it really close. It was also one of two indoor viewing places, not that it was any cooler inside. But people were pressed up close trying to see the panda like it would save their life.I literally had to shoulder my way to the glass to see the panda, as there wasn't enough room to elbow my way to the front. I'm not sure those people knew there was more than one panda to see. I took lots of pictures, saw all the pandas, bought a few panda things, saw the red pandas too and left the zoo.

The next stop was the Lama Temple. I again had subway success but was a little lost when I got out of the subway. The zoo ticket office had been right there outside it's subway stop. But I had to walk a while to find the temple entrance. The whole street was lined with picturesque shops selling incense sticks wrapped in red paper, mini gold Buddhas, and colorful paper flowers.

I was getting a little worried about finding the front gate or Any gate and had just stopped to ask for directions when I saw the gate. It was impossible to miss, just farther down the block than I thought it would be. The lama temple was set up more like a mini forbidden city than I thought it would be...Meaning lots of gates and courtyards that go on and on, all along one axis. But the carved Buddhas were breath taking. They were in every building and there was thick incense in every courtyard. I sat on the floor of the largest Buddha room and just stared up into his face. The dim light and the statue's gold skin glowed in the diffused light and was mesmerizing. The incense smoke curled up further shrouding the statue in mystery. I walked through all of the lama temple a little like I was trying to keep up with "power walker"even though I was alone. It helped keep me on track. I made it back to the subway station and to Tiananmen square right on schedule.

***still sunday***

The next part of my custom plan required me to walk across the square and end up at a different subway station, which I would then take back to where the taxi dropped me off this morning.

Several Chinese people had been stopping me in the square to take pictures and a few wanted to practice speaking English with me. Some of them wanted me to come to dinner or tea with them so we could talk for more than a few minutes. I didn't mind spending a few minutes standing and talking, but I was on a schedule with a flight leaving at the end of the day so I didn't want to go anywhere with anyone. Also, can we say stranger-danger?

But, but...I was within sight of my last subway entrance that would take me back towards my hotel and a taxi stand when I got stopped again to talk and practice English. I had about 20 minutes extra so I didn't mind too much, and I stopped to talk to them.

It was a girl and her cousin who were from Shanghi and were visiting Beijing because the girl had just finished university. They asked what I'd seen so far and if I'd seen the old china street just behind the last building in the square. They were walking that way, would I like to walk and talk with them? okay. so we walked around the thousands of people and sure enough there was a huge shopping street that I wouldn't have seen. It's for pedestrians only and looked like it was newly renovated. They wanted my email so they could write to me and practice English. I have no reason not to give it to them. I take out my pen and the cousin ducks into a restaurant/tea shop to get paper…but then he sits at a table just inside the door.

I'm confused and ask him if he thinks the owner will mind us sitting down just to write out emails. He says no, and the girl and I sit down too. It's hot, and I have been looking forward to ice cream and want to get going. But I'm polite and chat while they write out their emails. They start to tell me about how Chinese people always get together with their friends and drink tea. And then tea is brought. Ugh.

Okay, I say, I 'll have some tea but I have to be back at my hotel by 3pm. No problem they say. We're sitting just inside the tea shop in front of a window that looks out on the street, so I feel safe, but I was getting annoyed. It was hot, I wanted to get an ice cream bar, not drink hot tea and I wanted to be alone. Not surrounded by people asking me how old I am and if I'm married. But I didn't want to be rude either, so I sat and drank my small cup of tea (and burned my tongue).

The cousin as telling me some crap about how if you drink hot tea when it's hot you'll feel cooler. Whatever, that's why ice-cream was invented. I finish my little cup of tea… but oh, we have to finish the whole pot they say, it's lucky they say. F%*@. I still have time, it's just that I don't want to be here anymore, where as before I was slightly enjoying talking to the locals.

So we finally, finally finish out hot pot of tea. And the cousin calls for the bill. I, being the polite person I am, reach for my wallet to at least pay for my part of the tea even though I was invited. But oh, the cousin's face lights up. You buy for us? he asks. He seemed thrilled so I was like why not, sure.

The bill was 450y!!! That's like 70 US dollars, for a pot of tea you'd get for free if you went out to lunch at any Chinese restaurant. So I pull out a few yuan and fake that that's all the money I had. I might have felt a little bad, but then the cousin presses, "Why not use your credit card". I say it doesn't work in China. "Why not use US dollars?" (I think he got a glance at my wallet when I took it out), I say I only have a few dollars. So he finally, reluctantly give the owner His credit card. Ha!

I say a quick thanks and book it out of there back to the subway, with the cousins trying to keep up with me, regretting my polite/friendly streak. They finally say they're going to stay and shop (as we reach the end of the shopping street) and tell me I should stay in china longer next time I come. I smile vaguely and speed walk back to the subway ready to speak Spanish to the next person who stops to wanting to practice English.

I'm so annoyed at this point because my tongue is burned and I wanted ice cream (it was Hot outside) and I'm running a little late now. I misread a subway sign and got on a train going the wrong way. I noticed immediately and it's a quick fix at the next stop where I get on the right train. But it's a sign of what the next few hours are going to be like for me.

I make it out of the subway and find a taxi. But I have to talk him into driving me to my hotel. I find it's best to get into the taxi first and then try to tell them where you want to go, then they can't drive away from you. While I'm trying to talk to a man that speaks no English whatsoever, another man is outside my window, talking to me, trying to get me to get out of the taxi I'm already in, and get in his car/unofficial taxi. I'm a female and I'm traveling alone at this point. No. Thank you. Plus I'd already used up all my 'Polite' for the day and I eventually got the real taxi to get moving.

I got to the hotel with no problem. I have no idea why the driver didn't want to take me there if he knew where it was all along. I got my bags from the concierge and change my last US dollars to cover the cost of a taxi to the airport. I got a good taxi from the hotel, he has his AC on (score) and it's 4pm on a Sunday so there's no traffic. I relax in the back of the taxi and unceremoniously repack my bag and change shoes (I would have liked to put on non sweaty/sticky clothes before I left the hotel but I packed so well I didn't have extras). We got to the airport sooner than I was expecting.

I checked in, as was asked if I wanted a window seat (thanks China Air). I got through security and was promptly picked up by one of those airport golf carts that gets old people to their gates on time. There was no one on it and the driver asked me which gate I was going to, E6, 'oh that's the farthest one, get on'. Sweet! But about two seconds into the ride he tells me it's going to be 10 yuan. I'm like, just stop the car, I can walk. He's like but it's only 2 US dollars. I'm like F you (in my head, I never Actually cuss people out), fine. So I ride the giant golf cart.

He takes me to the gate and I pay him. I have to then back track to the bathroom that we drove past and the duty free shops I wanted to look in. So I'm annoyed at him for being so pushy.

I stop on my way back from the bathroom to get a bottle of water from the vending machine. The water is 5y, the smallest I have is a 10y but the machine says there is a place for 1,5,10 and 20. So I put my 10y in and get my water.... and it keeps my change. grr.

Whatever, I finally got on the plane and just arrive at my seat when I look over at my "window seat" to find no window. Yes it's the inside seat and there are windows all up and down the plane and there Should be one according to the intervals, but there's just no window whatsoever. Not like it's half behind me (like southwest flights have sometimes) but there is just a wall. China Air:2. Lucy:0.

And that's how I feel like those Chinese people ruined the last part of my day.
And I still had to time change an hour later, wait for the post bus, get a cab from base to my home and take a shower. It was like midnight, but I was home <3

***

Since I don't want to end my blog post that way (and with people getting the wrong impression about how I feel about my trip), I'll admit that I was probably primed to be put in a bad mood, it was the fourth of a really long string of days, it was hot, I felt gross, I was denied ice cream by the gods and I kept dealing with little annoyances.

But looking back at the rest of my trip, I saw some pretty amazing things. I'm So grateful I was able to have this chance to see a lot of beautiful and historically significant places. I'm amazed that I can now say I've been to the Great Wall of China. I saw Pandas in China!! (I LOVE Pandas). I made a huge leap and traveled pretty much on my own (this from a girl who has never been to the movies alone). I also packed lightly!! (I Always over pack). I feel pretty awesome about myself and very thankful that I got to travel to China.