We just got back to the room from our first day of touring here in Beijing. We are staying in a different area, and since we are more adventurous on our second trip here we went out for dinner with another member of our adoption group.
But first, after a big breakfast that included Dragon Fruit (Google it, I cannot explain it) we hopped on a bus for a relatively short ride to Tiananmen Square. It was a warm day--around 90 degrees, overcast and there was a good breeze blowing most of the tour.
Our guide, George, started us at the north end and we walked through the sea of people trying to hawk everything from Confucius Books to little Chinese flags.
Then we went under the street to the Forbidden City to see where the emperors used to live.
After the Square, we took a traditional rickshaw tour to a Hutong, or old the part of Beijing. The streets were very narrow but cars tried to squeeze past anyway.
One of the families made us lunch. Meatballs, chicken legs, green beans and pea nuts coated with a red pepper (it was a little spicy). The meal was fantastic!
We then had a chance to go back to the room and get organized. In the evening we went back out to a restaurant in the area recommended to us by George, and he even helped us order. We had orange pork, black pepper beef and corn mixed with egg yolks and sprinkles (yep, like on a cupcake).
When dinner was over we went with another people in our group on a walk through a retail shopping area a block west of the hotel that reminded Roger a lot of Michigan Avenue in Chicago.
And nearby that was an open food market. It's had the feel of fair food, but I am pretty sure Beer and Jessup doesn't have this stuff--everything from squid to shrimp to snake to scorpions...all on a stick. Must have been 50 little stands side-by-side with this stuff.
On the way back to the hotel, we saw this mass line dancing thing going on. Dozens of people doing a very choreographed dance and people sitting around watching.
It was a really good day of touring, but very tiring. Tomorrow, we head to The Great Wall!
That is the exact same hotel we stayed at two years ago when we adopted Rosy! I recognize the church courtyard next door. Be sure to step outside at night, because the church is absolutely gorgeous lit up. Also, when we were there, there was a little group of ladies selling items in front of the church, and we were able to buy Lily a Bible that has Chinese and English side by side. It is one of Lily's treasures. We also walked the vendor street and sampled some of the ware. Not the scorpions or starfish, however. :)
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