Imperial China Day 10

OAT Day 2-06 - Tuesday, April 15, 2008 - Optional Summer Palace Tour-Explore Hutong Neighborhood-Home Hosted Lunch-Board Overnight Train for Xian

Our last morning in Beijing was a leisurely one. The sun came up at 5:37 AM here and the workers began scraping and drilling at 6:30 five stores below us on the street.

We finished packing our big bags as they had to go out at 8:30 and then we went down for breakfast. We compared notes with the nine who chose not to go to the Opera. They might have made the better choice - but we will chalk this up to a “learning experience”!

We got back to our room at 9:30 and took time for Gennie to catch up on her university classes. I organized photos and found out what was happening in the world. I checked us out of the hotel and paid the bill.

Everyone met in the lobby at 11:30 with our carry on bags for the overnight train trip tonight. Our big bags will go on to Xian on an earlier train and hopefully meet us there! Strangely enough, we can carry liquids on the train, but no liquids can be stored in our checked luggage that has to be secured with a padlock.

Mr. Gao took us to the subway station so we could go to the Beijing Lama Temple, a last minute addition from OAT to make up for not going to Tibet. Although there is nothing we can do about it, we are all disappointed that the Chinese government has still closed the borders to tourists until May 1st.

When we arrived at the station, I was in charge of buying the tickets. We went down four flights of stairs to a new branch of the subway, a line that was very crowded even riding it in the middle of the day - imagine rush hour!

During our ride, we stayed together, all got on the same car, and braved the Beijing underground, not nearly as bad as people say it is!

Hong met us at the entrance of the Lama Temple and explained the historical aspects of the grounds as well as the political drama of family wars of the two generations of emperors’ families who lived here in this palace before it was designated as a Lama Temple.

Inside the temple we saw the Laughing Buddha and Hong reminded us of the importance of the huge bells, the drums, and the incense to this culture.

Matt gave us each a stick of incense so we could say a little prayer and then ask the Buddha for a favor. After putting the burning incense into the urn the Buddha will smell the smoke and then grant your wish if one is worthy.

Our tour of the temple ended at 1:10 and then Hong gave us free time to explore and to take photos on our own. No pictures were allowed in the worship halls, but we could capture the essence of the Lama Temple.

Mr. Gao was waiting for us on the bus and took us to our next adventure, a glimpse of ordinary Chinese life on a tour of one of Beijing's hutong villages. These old residential neighborhoods consist of acres of low, flat-roofed buildings crisscrossed by narrow lanes.

Hong and Matt took us on a guided walking tour, where we saw everyday life; children playing ... the sounds and smells of food being prepared ... merchants selling and lots more construction!

Our tour included lunch in the home of a local Chinese family, Mr. and Mrs. Zhang. This is the same man and his family we visited 6 years ago here in Beijing on our Collette Tour. He remembered us, and said “destiny has brought us together again.”

Mrs. Zhang taught us how to make dumplings. She mixed wheat flour with water and then rolled out the 2” dough and then added a filling of leak and pork. Many of us tried our hand at rolling out the pastry and stuffing it.

We had a delightful home cooked lunch - imagine inviting 16 guests for a ten course meal in a 10x20 foot room with a 4x5 kitchen!

We left our friends at 3:30 and walked through the village and into the “Tourist” alley. We made our way around the lake and Matt purchased tickets for all of us to go on a Chinese junk boat ride. Our oarsman rowed us around the lake in the middle of the Hohi Park.

As we got back to the main square I was invited to try my foot skills in a game like hacky-sack played with a shuttle-cock. Just as we were about to leave we saw several old gentlemen sitting together playing the ancient musical instruments, the jinghua and the sanxuan, stringed instruments and singing songs from the Chinese opera.

Our next stop was dinner at the Huafuge Restaurant where we stayed until almost 8 PM. We boarded the bus again for a short ride to the train station. The Beijing station is the largest one in all of Asia.

After standing in line with thousands of other travelers we entered the station and went through a cursory security check of our hand carry luggage. We then went into the “soft seat waiting lounge” and after 15 minutes we were called to board.

We walked to Station 6 Track Z19 and found our train. After a long walk to the front of the train, we found our coach and overnight sleeping compartment. OAT purchased two tickets for each passenger, guaranteeing only two people in a four person compartment.

Although the space is crowded it is very clean and comfortable for our 11 hour overnight journey to Xian. While I took a few photos, Gennie organized our cabin and made up our beds. The train left on time at 9:30 and we were on our way.

Accommodations: Overnight Train to Xian - - - Meal: B, L, D

If you wish to travel with OAT Click Here.

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