I decided to finally go to the Olympic Area to see the Bird's Nest and swimming arena (forgot what it was called). It was incredible to see that on a Tuesday, it was still packed! And not just with foreigners, mostly local Chinese! It was cool to walk around and see the intricate architecture.
The next day, was a very busy one indeed. I first went to the Silk Street Market to check out prices on Chinese rugs (for the parents). Looked around for a while, bargaining with the shop keepers for some practice. Then I went to YaXiu, another market. I picked out the color, material, and style of suit I wanted to get custom tailored. I decided on a very dark blue 100% cashmere interview suit. (UPDATE: I went back to get it fitted today. Ohh I like it...) Then I perused around that market some more to get more Chinese/bargaining practice in. I quickly grabbed lunch at the upstairs dining center (and got Bubble Tea!!!). After I was drained from the markets, I headed over to the famous BeiHai Park.
On the way there, I had a nice conversation with the driver. I asked him what he thought of the park and what the best spots to hit were (since it is enormous). Once at the park, I was immediately overwhelmed by the vastness of the lake located in the center of the park. It was beautiful. I looked at the map, got even more overwhelmed with how much there was to see, then started on my way. First I had to hit the White Pagoda, located at the top of temple on a peninsula in the center of the park. The climb involved going through many temples and shrines where everyone would stop to pay tribute. I must admit, I too stopped at almost everyone and did the same. At the top, it was breathtaking. The view was amazing, the tranquility was sublime, and the breeze was refreshing (on a humid 107F day in Beijing).
On the descent I went through some 'caves' on the Jade Islet. Very interesting, containing lots of little statues representing different dynasties. At the bottom, I took a boat across the lake, to the north side. I met a fun guy from Nicaragua that is living in Sweden. He was touring 10 different Asian countries this summer! Finally, I checked out all the other cool shrines/areas before leaving heading back home.
The parents arrive tomorrow. I get to go pick them up from the airport and be their tour guide! I am soo excited. Hopefully, they notice an improvement in my Chinese...
The plans we have laid out for our time in Beijing are as follows:
- Hit the Great Wall (Mutianyu)
- Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City
- 1 day of intense shopping at all the markets (and me picking up my suit!)
- Either BeiHaiGongYuan or TianTan (Temple of Heaven)
Then on Wednesday, it's off to Shanghai!
It's gonna be an incredible week touring China with the parents for a week!
一会儿见！
－ Kevin
P. S. Don't know if any more posts will come until we're back in the States.
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