This first week in October is called Chinese National Holiday. Everyone in China gets the week off (except the tourist type business owners...like restaurants) and it seems that EVERYONE takes the opportunity to travel with family...all throughout China. So since Beijing has a lot of great tourist destinations, it was expected to be overwhelmed this week with tourists and visitors. Nevertheless, we also had the week off...so a perfect opportunity for us to do some sight seeing too, right....???
Well, after my successful trip to watch tennis on Monday night I decided to take my friend Arielle and her visiting friend Lona up on their invitation to join them at the Summer Palace. I hadn't been yet and I wanted to experience this National Holiday population influx for myself. We got together and decided to catch a taxi and head out about 10:45 or so. In no time at all we were at the Summer Palace (and I paid the taxi driver with exact fair!!!! arr sure leo...26 kuai...yes...I can do this! Well maybe...) and had purchased our all inclusive tickets. We marched through the gate and were greeted by this...
…about 150,000 of our closest Chinese friends! In China they have a saying about Beijing which loosely translates in English to ‘Sea of People…Mountain of People’. Yep…I get that now! The other thing that could not be avoided today was this…
…yes, that is not fog…or moisture…it is smog. The smog here can be so thick and absolutely terrible. It cannot be described or exaggerated. On days like this if you are out walking around for 4-5 hours, your lungs just HURT and you get a cough and start feeling like you are beginning to get really sick. I’ve learned that really, it is just the smog. But, it is a part of life here in Beijing…so you learn to deal with it.
The Summer Palace was created as a summer play place or 'getaway' for the emperors and the empress. When the Forbidden City was just too confining they would come here to get away from it all. It really is just unimaginable that this entire lake and the surrounding palace and all the structures were created for just one person or family to live in (for the summer...or a part of the summer). The structure is absolutely incredible and beautiful.
The people were really overwhelming today and the layout of this palace was not meant to accommodate so many tourists. Some severe bottlenecks were created and the going was slow and somewhat treacherous (meaning people of this magnitude create chaos...elbowing, shoving, doing whatever they can to push through or push ahead of you.). Definitely not my type of thing...but we decided to push through (slowly) to the top of the tower.
It was worth it to get a view of all the ships and boats out on the lake during the gorgeous weather. I also attempted to get some pictures of me at the top...
...but I've run out of American batteries...and my flash was gone after only two pictures with my Chinese one's :-( This led to a very interesting Chinglish conversation with the man I got to take my picture...I knew what he was trying to say...and I think he knew what I was trying to say too...but there was just no remedy to the bad batteries and lack of flash.
Here we are making our way back down to try to exit. This was very interesting as the paths are not marked and you never are quite sure if you are headed toward an exit...or a dead end. But, luckily I have a very good nose for these sorts of things :-) My directions in China are surprisingly good. Maybe it is just out of a need for survival but all of you who knew me as directionally challenged in Denver would be quite impressed. I seem to always be able to find the right routes through and out of places...always seem to be the first to get the taxi...and surprisingly have a knack for finding the bus and subway stations. This I am attributing to a sheer miracle or sorts...because I would be the last person anyone would ever ask for directions from in Denver.
One last view from the bottom...and we were on our way home. Another good outing with some good company :-)
Zaijian,
Gary
Learn Chinese- Nong Da (Literally translates to Big School...but when used with Qing Hua Dong Lu (the name of the road that I live off of) is very effective at getting taxi drivers to take me home :-)
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