Rain Rain Go Away

With today being our last full day in Beijing, I had to take my parents to the Great Wall and the Forbidden City before my dad and I left for Lhasa the next morning. We got breakfast at a tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant within walking distance of the hotel. Definitely not a place for tourists. Totally bare bones and not much to look at. Much like the Beijing weather, it was kinda of warm inside too. A few locals were also inside, presumably getting breakfast before work. We ordered a selection of dumplings and a fried meat-stuffed dish that looked like a cross between a samosa and a pizza pocket.

Up close shot of a dumpling. Stuffed with pork and vegetables. Good.

Last year when I came to China, I visited the Jianshanling section of the Great Wall. It's a little farther away and known for being less restored and less tourisy. This time around, we decided to visit the Mutianyu section. It's the second closest section to Beijing and got rave reviews from my travel guidebook. I was willing to brave the public bus system, but my parents opted to hire a taxi to bring us there, hang out for a couple of hours, and drive us back. We secured a driver for 6 hours for 600 Yuan (about $100 USD).

The weather the whole morning was quite horrible. A steady drizzle poured from Beijing all the way to the Great Wall. Obviously we weren't going to turn back now, so we made the best of it. A ski lift brought us from the base of the wall to the wall itself. It would have been a spectacular view had it not been for the consistent fog.

Luckily we purchased some ponchos at the base since it pretty much rained throughout the 1.5-2 hours we were there. Occasionally the rain would stop, but the fog never lifted fully. Being here once before, I knew what to expect, but my parents were definitely in awe at the man-made  wonder. We arrived early so the Wall wasn't packed, but we came across a few foreign trekers: British high school adventure group and an American teacher taking a vacation from her teaching in Korea. Always nice to meet others from afar.

Me all soaked from the rainy weather

Dad on the Wall in his poncho

After the Great Wall, we cleaned up at the hotel, ate lunch at the hotel buffet and headed for the Forbidden City. To fully experience the area, we entered the Forbidden City by passing though the Gate of Heavenly Peace, famous for its photo of Mao Zedong. For the next couple of hours, we walked through the many gates, courtyards, and steps that is the Forbidden City. It's my second time seeing it, but nonetheless I'm still amazed and glad to have seen this with my parents who themselves are seeing it for the first time.

Approaching the Gate of Heavenly Peace

Photo with Mom.

Representing Minneapolis and cycling.

For some time now, I've been wanting to borrow a page from my friend Doug and get my own 'travel gnome' to take on my adventures and take pictures of in front of iconic sites. I hadn't found one I liked until today! In the gift shop, I came across a miniature figure. I bought it and immediately started my new tradition! From this point on, this little guy will travel with me, building upon his own photo album. As I write this, I haven't figured out a name for his just yet.

Gnome at the Forbidden City.

We were all pretty tired after visiting the wall and the Forbidden City, but we managed to drop into a nearby Beijing restaurant for a snack. Pictured below are apparently Beijing style noodles. While they may look okay, I thought they were disgusting. No meat, no taste. For this meal, I was an Asian rabbit. I took at most two bites.

My parents headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. We were going to eat out with my Dad's friend so he had to confirm how we were going to meet up. I spent the remainder of the afternoon in the Wangfujing shopping area of town. I knew from experience they had a Nike store, and I wanted to see what I could buy there that I couldn't buy in the US.

Nike Beijing from inside the large shopping mall it's in.

Large Kobe Bryant photo above a staircase. Elsewhere in the store, he's signed another photo.

Nike Beijing from the outside

Overall, I was kind of disappointed in the selection. I wanted something unique (e.g. had Chinese on it) but most of the stuff they sold I've seen before. All in all, I left Nike Beijing with a t-shirt.

As I continued window shopping, I saw signs for Dairy Queen. This was the second time in two days, so I had to give it a try and get a blizzard. Overall, the menu was similar except there was no sign of a mini size. I opted for a small and asked for the advertised cantaloupe cookie crisp flavor. I doubt I was going to see cantaloupe in Minneapolis anytime soon.

Looks like cookies and cream. Tastes like cantaloupe! Very good! Though I still prefer oreos over the cookie crisp bits.

Dinner was at an acclaimed restaurant specializing in peking duck. I've had peking duck countless of times in the US but it's always a treat to eat the meal where it all began. Supposedly this restaurant is famed for having its chef lineage go back to the same chefs that served the emperor at the Imperial Palace. Overall the meal was very good. Not greatest duck of all time, but very good.

Restaurant from the outside

Duck being carved table-side

Peking duck

Some of our other dishes (clockwise): dates, duck liver, sauteed shrimp with vegetables, duck gizzard, mushroom ensemble, veggies.

Duck 'birds nest' lettuce wraps.

ing dinner with new family friends was a great way to end the evening. In addition to eating, my mom and I had a heck of a time trying to communicate with my new aunt. She knows english sparingly, so it was an evening filled with confused looks and hand gestures as we tried to get by.

Afterwards we called it a night. The next morning, my dad and I would leave for Lhasa, Tibet.