I < 3 BJ

Well, I made it. A lovely layover in Vancouver with an old friend for a day, who I think literally took me to EVERY neighborhood in town (thanks Gilli!), then entered metal tube for twelve grueling hours, and exited said metal tube in the brand spanking new Beijing airport (feng-shui compliant!), and easily through passport control where the twelve year old didnt even ask me a single question before ushering me onward toward the light rail that brought me to baggage claim. The subway car was filled with chinese police, also all looking about twelve years old, with mismatched boots and matching fake rolexes, and the CUTEST K9 dogs I think I've ever seen- like beagles and collies and such. The airport, built in time for the '08 Olympics, was incredibly nice, and yet for some reason it will be demolished and rebuilt again to be completed in 2012.
Successfully met Ben at baggage claim, and took a taxi through the smog to our hotel a few blocks south of Tianenmen Square. For most of the drive Beijing looked like a dystopian LeCorbusier-esque supercity of giant buildings and superhighways, full of luxury cars (I guess its either luxury car or NO car here in the New China), most of which were Volkswagens or, inexplicably, Black Buick Regals. I havent seen so many Buicks since visiting my grandmother in her retirement community! Anyway, the hotel neighborhood does appear to be at a normal scale. In fact, its a pretty cool old neighborhood, old low buildings and alleyways crowded with bicycles and rickshaws and peddlers of all kinds selling dumplings and whatnot. Our Hostel is perfectly decent, and full of the usual motley crew of Australian and European backpackers, and thankfully with functioning air conditioning. (As the pilot announced when we were landing, "temperature in Beijing is currently 94 and hazy of course!"). Jetlagged, we stumbled into a phenomenol dinner spot where we gorged ourselves on courses of Peking duck- first came the skin, so shiny and crisp you could practically see your reflection, then the tender meat, withsides of scallion and cucumbers to roll up with the duck in spongy chinese pancakes. Yeah, wow. And so much more appetizing than the rest of the menu which thankfully at least had pictures (donkey meat in spicy sauce, jellyfish with fermented vinegar (redundant, I know), and cow tendon in salty sauce.) Then to sleep, where I was indeed a very jetlagged viking.

This morning up at near dawn for breakfast and then discover than the city was broiling hot and humid even by 8am (theres apparently a heat wave here too!) We wandered aroudn our neighborhood, a lovely shopping area complete with H&M, Uniqlo and Starbucks, and to Tianenmen Square, which was really... just a big square. Apparently the biggest city square in the world. (See pictures, and no, in China, you most definitely cannot access THAT picture of Tianenmen Square, though I wondered what someone would do if one decided to pose in the center of the square holding up your hand like the tank man). Onward to the not-so-forbidden city, which was swarming with hordes of Chinese and international tourists by 9:00, most of whom were smart enough to bring parasols for the blazing sunshine- it got up well over 100 by midday. Parts of the forbidden city were quite cool and impressive, mostly the side buildings and gardens which werent nearly so crowded, though overall, I'm sorry to say, I felt a little jaded but just wasnt that impressed. A few impressive buildings, and certainly a massive scale, but for the most part, it was just a series of giant squares and pagoda-like buildings. Sadly, I've been in so many ersatz pagoda buildings in various Chinatowns and Chinese restaurants that the orginal sort of didnt seem that impressive, and kinda felt a little tackty almost with the red roofs and gold dragons everywhere. I know, I know, I mean, it was impressive, but I think I just prefer other architecture styles- Wat Pho and the royal palace in Bangkok for example, or other places just have more interesting architecture to me than China. We wandered back through some alleys in ou neighborhood, to touts calling out "little brother friend, you come but t-shirt!" as they hawked T-Shirts of Mao, The Great Wall, and the unintentionally funny I <3 BJ in the I <3 NY logo. Plenty of good Chinglish printed everywhere on signs and t-shirts, my favorite being the kid in the NY Yankers T-Shirt. Anyway, back here now to try and stay awake, and on to the great wall tomorrow.