Day 2 - China 2011

   We arrived at the Double Happiness Courtyard Hotel at 12:30 am Beijing time. Our journey into Beijing from the airport mixed jungle both of modern and ancient China. Even a tollbooth on a highway, for example, was set within a colorful temple. Neon lights and skyscrapers highlighted our ride in. We pulled off the main road and were dropped off at the entrance to an alley (which we later learned was called a Houtong). At first we all thought the driver was either confused as to what hotel we were staying at or we were about to be murdered in Beijing and never see the lights of the Castle again. Fortunately our hotel was located on the alley and it was a short 5-minute walk from the main road down the alley. The alleyway, which is about 8 feet wide, is lined with motorcycles, bikes, and small cars, leaving about 5 to 6 feet of room for pedestrians and all traffic to move through. Cars and bikes fly down the alleys seeming to glide inches away from pedestrians and oncoming traffic. Cars do not stop for pedestrians and it’s all up to chance that you make it across. Mrs. Sibley did have a near death experience on our way home from dinner. She had stopped to take a photo of the cardboard that people attach to the rims of their tires. People put this on so that the many dogs don’t pee on the rims. When Mrs. Sibley looked up, a motorcycle going at least 30 mph almost hit her but stopped within inches of her.

   The Double Happiness Hotel is located in a Hutong, an ancient part of Beijing that city dwellers have lived in for 800 years. The three boys, Eric, Simon, and Grant, are staying in the family room. The rooms are very traditional with silk tapestries, woodcarvings, antique furniture, and low beds. Recently dubbed the “mating chamber,” Eric’s bed is difficult to explain: a filmy red canopy surrounds the frame of the bed that is separated from the main room by red and gold curtains. Fortunately the bathrooms are equipped with normal American toilets verse the squatting toilets that are located in most bathrooms here in Beijing and most of Asia, which I tested yesterday. Incidentally, Ms. Smith says the squatting toilets are why people here in China don’t have as many back problems. We are not supposed to drink the water here so we have to brush our teeth with bottled water. Helen and Margaret are sharing a room next to the boys in the upper part of the hotel. Zeena and Hayley’s room is very small but has a lot of character to it. While they can barely fit through the door, it is very warm and inviting inside. Mr. Gannon has similar accommodations, and he can touch all four sides of his room at the same time if he really tried, or so he says.

   We were all exhausted and hit the sack pretty quickly after arriving in Beijing. The next morning we had till 10:00 to wake up and be ready, but we all seemed to wake up at 7:00. Jet lag and time change had set in but surprisingly have not affected us at all that much. Breakfast was an experience. The hotel provides the equivalent of a Continental Breakfast buffet / feast. There were over 50 options comprised of meats, vegetables, fruits, and pastries. In America it seems that we eat a very planned simple meal of a fruit, a grain, and maybe a small portion of meat. Simon was in heaven as he declared that some of his favorite dishes were being served; it was like chocolate for Ms. Smith but food for him. After breakfast, the tour guides arrived, and we set out to tour Ancient Beijing and the Hutong. We first went to Madame Soong Ching Ling’s residence, a very important and prominent women during the overthrow of the Qing dynasty and the early republic, married to Sun Yat-Sen, the founder of the 1911 Chinese Republic. In appreciation for her husband's historic accomplishments, Zhou Enlai and Mao Zedong, first leaders of the People's Republic of China founded in 1949, provided for her this compound of gardens, temples, water features, dove houses, and the main house. Surprisingly the interior was decorated with very Western designs and furniture. From there we went to the Drum Tower where we climbed to the top, precisely 69 steps. While this may not seem like a lot, the steps were about 1 foot tall each and at a very steep incline. We were all winded by the time we reached the top, and Ms. Smith made it! We watched an amazing synchronized performance on the huge drums which originally sounded over the whole city as a way of telling time, and we all survived the harrowing descent. .

   We then took our Hutong tour on rickshaws as our guide explained in detail Hutong life and how minute features on the door distinguished social classes. We then were whisked away to an unassuming door, where a welcoming family had prepared lunch for us-- an authentic Chinese meal, not General Tso’s chicken. We were even given an opportunity to help make part of our lunch by pasting and sealing dumplings, which was not successful. After this, preparing to head to our next destination, Eric started a fateful trend by buying a cheap knockoff Rolex. Then it was off to the Bell Tower for a tea ceremony and sampling, where we carefully smelled and tasted many different and exotic varieties of tea.

​   Finally, our first day of Beijing ended with a stop at Prince Gong’s Mansion, an extremely well preserved estate of a high official in the Qing Dynasty. We toured the extensive grounds, venturing past many courtyards, by lakes, and even into a meditation cave, where we touched a carving of the Emperor Kangxi’s handwriting for good luck. We attended dinner at an absolutely packed restaurant which, although it prominently displayed signs reading “No Smoking,” had a thick cloud of smoke hovering in the room. Smelling like ashtrays, reeling from the newly acquired knowledge, and tired from jet lag, we headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest.

- Eric

We are having to post from my iPhone because while we can access Internet in some places, the Chinese government has blocked websites such as facebook, YouTube, other social media websites, and sites to speak out such as Blogger.

Location:Beijing