Beijing Dispatches

This would be my second night here in the capital of the middle kingdom. And I am spending it, like so many other nights in the east at an internet cafe. Yesterday when I arrived at the airport, at 3 am, I stepped through customs (a very empty hallway marked: nothing to declare) I was swarmed with taxi drivers looking for fresh meat. Of course I would get a taxi, of course I would possibly pay through the nose for one, but I'm just not ready haggle straight off the plane. I tried to escape the yelping drivers by driving my cart full of baggage into the bathroom. It sort of worked. As I was washing up one of them had followed me in and handed me his business card. I would have to take some taxi into the city. I guess he would be the lucky one to drive me in.

We drove into the city through a pall of mist and smog listening to chinese dance music weaving our way along the expressway. The driver was not familiar with my hostel, obscure as it is. And he had to stop twice to ask fellow taxi drivers where the place was. he then dropped me off at an abandoned plaza behind the Ritz. I wandered around it till I realised exactly where I was and where my hostel was. When I got there they only had a double room free so I took it. The woman at the desk asked if I wanted to see it first. I said why not (I probably should not have as it hadn't been cleaned yet) The previous occupants it seemed had spend the night(s) before eating instant noodles and spitting sunflower seeds all over the floor. I said I would take it (if they cleaned it first) even though my mind said to reject it and go somewhere else. But it was 5 in the morning and I was over loaded with bags and was really, really done traveling at that point. Hey, this is China and this is an adventure. Did I mention that the hostel is in the fourth floor of the basement, well it is which is why I could pay so little for the same location as the Ritz, the Plaza and a half dozen other huge hotels all abut a half mile from the Forbidden City.

I walked then to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen square, everything still bathed lightly in haze. I knew what to expect but still when the roofs of the Tiananmen gate with Chairman Mao's picture on it came into view from behind the trees I got chills. wow. This really is China! Mao looks across a six lane street and over the square to the monument to the people's heroes. Beyond that lies the great helmsman himself, entombed and mummified in a giant mausoleum. Even so early in the morning the square was filled with people and PSB (Public Security Bureau) vans. Their snoozing inhabitants keeping careful watch for any Falun Gong or pro-democracy protesters who might appear.

I decided not to go into the Forbidden City just then. I needed something to eat and was just too tired to properly take it all in. I wandered north along the eastern wall of the FC past hole-in-the-wall stores (yes, some of them were very, very much like holes). I found breakfast eatery serving an old favorite of mine. I still don't know the name of it, but it is a very thin tortilla/ pancake with egg, scallions, and spicy sauce all wrapped up in it. It is served still quite hot in a thin plastic bag; and I had to walk around blowing on the bag before I could touch it long enough to get a bite. The rest of the morning I spent wandering around the hutongs, old style courtyard housing and very close meandering alleyways. More on these later. They probably will require pictures...

Well tonight I just got done having dinner with two Beloit profs (Daniel Youd and Natalie Gummer) who are in town to meet the Beloit students for this semester's study abroad. We shared spicy Sichuan (aka: Szechwan) eggplant, dofu (tofu), and twice cooked pork (mostly twice cooked pork fat) and Yanjing beer. (thanks for the meal Beloit College!) I then tromped off in search of a 24hr internet cafe (harder to find than they used to be). The one I wanted, or the hostel it was above didnt seem to exist any more. Even though my brand new guide book said they were brand new. But new doesn't stay new long in today's China. Both seemed to have been bulldozed for a skyscraper or some other monstrosity going up around town. I did find one not too far for the original's location. Though it was all full I waited till someone stopped playing their video games to gave me a seat (what else could I do but wait.)

Tomorrow I think I will get up early and rent a bicycle. I also bought batteries for my camera so I will be taking pictures to post as well.