Day in Beijing

I'm in Lhasa, Tibet as I write the entry. Couldn't post from hotel in Beijing due to poor Internet connection.

Monday started early for us. We had a great tour guide (Michael) whose heavy-accented English was understandable, and a new reminder about how under-educated we Yanks really are. We took a tour bus to the Great Wall, about an hour north of Beijing. It was raining hard, which I understand is (1) unusual for this time of year, but (2) a good thing because it scrubs the smog away.

The Wall is easily as impressive as I've come to expect. It is over 6,000 km long, but you can't get a sense of that standing on the wall because it meanders up and over hills, and very little of it is visible from any vantage point. Where we were, there was several temples arrayed around a river. The colors were amazing. I've taken photos, which I'll upload later. Spent a couple hours at the Wall. A "wonder of the world" and well worth seeing.

Returned to Beijing, went through a jade manufacturing plant (touristy), and headed to the Forbidden City. First, the Forbidden City is bigger than life and a must-see. But at the risk of being an iconoclast, it is fairly two dimensional compared to, say, Versailles or St. Peters. It was constructed over a relatively short (in historic perspective) time and the architecture is all the same. The palaces (there are about 100 of them, with over 8,000 rooms) are pretty impressive, but very similar: yellow tile roofs (the imperial color), red walls, and bright blue and green designs. I'm glad I saw it, of course. Can't go to Beijing and not.

Went by all of the Olympic venues. They are much more impressive up close than on TV, as one might expect. Couldn't get too close though because it is a week-long vacation here in China, and the city is jam-packed with Chinese tourists.

The city itself is massive, and shows the billions of dollars the Chinese government spent preparing for the Games. Evident everywhere from freeways to new buildings. Sky-scrapers from horizon to horizon. Spotlessly clean. Fresh flowers everywhere. The city is spectacular. I would go back in a heart-beat.

Most signs, interestingly, are in both Chinese characters and in English. Road signs, bill boards, you name it. Surprising to me, actually.

Tiananmen Square came next. Very "cultural revolution." Soldiers everywhere in still dress uniforms. They have soldiers standing stock-still as sentries at all the government buildings and most public places. Big Brother is really watching, and you do feel it. Very few are armed, though, making it less intimidating but obvious nonetheless. The square is enormous and was jammed with Chinese tourists. Huge portrait of Mao glowering down on everyone.

But almost no Mao jackets and hats anymore. Just on some older folks. Prosperity is everywhere. Very few bikes now, and the streets are jammed with brand new cars. People dress in western styles and most look very dapper. This is indeed the Chinese century, and a day in Beijing leaves no doubt of that.

Back to the hotel for dinner, nosed around town a bit last night, and crashed. Departing for Tibet on Tuesday (Monday to you).