I love to hike. For me, hiking combines some of my greatest passions in life: Being outside and being active. Tucson is surrounded by mountains and offers ample opportunity to hike until your hearts desire. There are some peaks such as Mount Wrightson, that reach almost 10,000 feet and there are many national and state parks loaded with trails.
Every time I come to Tucson, I try to fit in some hikes. My parents live in the foothills and are close to several of my favorite trails and hiking spots such as the lovely Sabino Canyon (which has countless trails) and Ventana Canyon. Some of my favorite trails include the hike to Seven Falls which guides you along diverse desert landscape bringing you to a large canyon with seven waterfalls (this hike is exceptionally beautiful in March or April when the water has melted off Mount Lemmon above and creates huge, rushing falls and beautiful, fragrant desert flowers). I also love to hike the Phoneline trail that wraps around Sabino Canyon affording a spectacular view below. Finally, the Ventana Trailhead is another great hike which combines some steep, zigzag trails giving you a fabulous workout and a rewarding view at the top of Tucson valley. All three of these hikes can take anywhere from 3-4 hours depending on how fast you move and how few breaks you take. It is a perfect way to let off steam, burn some calories and enjoy the stunning fresh air and views of the Arizona desert.
Yesterday we opted to take a new trail and ventured over to Pima Canyon, about ten minutes away from my parents home. We chose a trail leading up along the Catalina Mountains which was uniquely beautiful and very peaceful. It was the first time for years that I hiked with my siblings as well as my father, so it was a great time with good company.
Here are some shots along the way.
My dad and sister setting off.
Going up…this hike had a lot of climb involved and was rocky so you had to keep your eyes in front of you! I was relieved that my dad went first. I always get paranoid of encountering a rattlesnake. I’ve seen them before in the distance but never (knock on wood) had one jump out in front of me before.
The trail system goes on forever, way up high into the mountains in the background. You can hike for days back in the wilderness as long as you bring a pack. There is also plenty of wildlife such as mountain lions, bighorn sheep, deer, ocelots and wildcats. Sadly a lot of their habitat has disappeared and these animals have come down to the foothills and valley in search of food and water only to be a nuisance to the human population below. I’ve seen an ocelot, javelina pigs, coyote and wildcat outside of my parents home. Not a good thing to see, though.
A skeleton of a saguaro cactus, Tucson’s most dominant variety of cacti.
The trail map…we took the Pontatoc Canyon Trail.
Photos of the many different varieties of cacti.
These are the notorious and deadly jumping cacti.
And the stunning view behind us…
Then we reached the top and took a sibling photo—-our first in years of the three of us.
And fabulous views of Finger Rock and the surrounding Pima Canyon.
Mount Wrightson beckons in the background….one of my most favorite hikes of all! It is a whole day affair that I’ll have to save for another day.
There is something seriously sexy about The Bund. Lovely, grand, historic buildings line the decedent waterfront of the Huangpu River affording an old-world charm, albeit European, to the “Paris of the Orient“.
Built around the start of the first Opium War and the consequent concessions, the lovely historical buildings of The Bund were constructed over a period of years starting in 1840 until 1930. The “Bund” which translates into the “embankment” or “embanked quay” reflects a multitude of architectural influences signifying the international flavor of Shanghai at the time. The old historic buildings that once housed large banking and trading companies, businesses and foreign consuls, represent a bouquet of different architectural styles. One can find Gothic, Baroque, Rome, Renaissance, Classic, as well as both Eastern and Western influences among the buildings. It is truly a delightful place, especially at night when the city lights aluminate this spectacular strip of buildings.
The Bund is particularly sensual at night. When the lights are beaming up onto the building’s arches and splendor, it is a magical place that is definitely worth an evening stroll.
Here are the highlights of the Bund at night. Enjoy!
A not so great picture of the Bund as seen through our hotel window….amazingly beautiful!
I love this picture! Photo taken out of hotel bathroom looking down at the Bund.
The best way to explore the sharp contrast between old versus new in China is to visit Beijing and Shanghai in the first week. While Beijing is old, historical and brimming with culture, Shanghai is ultra modern, cosmopolitan and chic.
One of the country’s most vibrant and modern cities, Shanghai, meaning “by the sea” is going places that China as a whole dreams of heading. Given Shanghai’s strategic location as a gateway to the Yangzi River, it was first established as a small port town and eventually grew to a population of 50,000 in the late 17th century. The real future and fate of Shanghai occurred after the opening of the British concession in 1842 which lead to a period of dramatic growth, splendor and decadence.
Shortly after the British arrived, the Americans and French followed and Shanghai became an economic powerhouse financed by opium, silk and tea trade. As the city blossomed and grew, large finance houses set up shop leading Shanghai into a period of robust growth and economic supremacy. There was a long period of vice and decadence as the city became filled with whorehouses, opium dens and gambling parlours which eventually were cleaned up only to lead the city into a long period of malaise and decay.
Shanghai was revitalized in the early 1990s when the decision was made to develop a swampy, vacant farmland on the eastern side of the Huangpy River. This area, today known as Pudong, is one of the most ultra-modern, brilliantly colorful skylines in all of China save for Hong Kong. Being in Pudong, it is unbelievable to see this modern, dazzling supersized city that was all built within the last 20 years mirroring the sensational growth of China herself.
To me, Shanghai is a fascinating, complex city beaming with lights, color, vibrancy and of course good old contradictions. While The Bund represents the prestigious, old-world charm of the past, Pudong represents the dramatic future of China, the number two economic country in the world. Shanghai perfectly brought the old and the new all together in one big, luminous city full of paradoxes for the perceptive traveler. I fell in love with its complexity, beauty, modernity and historic charm. It is a place that summoned up so much of my feelings about China, and a fabulous way to end the trip.
Stay tuned..My next post series will be all about Shanghai and all this phenomenal city has to offer. I will cover the Bund, Pudong, The French Concession, Old Town, Shanghai Shopping, Chinese Street Smarts and more….plus I will probably throw in some Tucson posts since I’ve never blogged about lovely Tucson, Arizona before and it is a cool place. Thanks for reading!
Leaving Beijing, we had our first taste of heavy traffic and wet rain. We were ready to leave the dreary weather (or so we hoped) and head south to Shanghai known as Beijing’s decadent little sister. Although I truly enjoyed Beijing’s majestic Forbidden City, ancient hutongs and scattered parks, I really was getting tired of the smoggy, cold weather. Plus the food options were becoming limiting (that happens when you don’t especially like Chinese food) and I knew that I would find much more variety and international fare in cosmopolitan Shanghai. It was time to leave.
Photo below taken during our hour-long taxi ride to Beijing South Railway Station. The further we got out off town and along the Ring Road, the more of these ugly Soviet-era apartment complexes there were. It made me realize just how insanely big Beijing is and how densely the people live. This represents one of hundreds if not thousands of these kinds of living complexes.
In my opinion, there is no better way to see some of the countryside and what is really going on in China than to travel by train. There is something nostalgic about train travel. You can sit back, relax and watch the world go by or in the case of China’s high-speed G trains, watch the world scream by.
The Beijing-Shanghai G Train is one of the longest and highest quality high-speed railways in the world with a designed speed of 350 km per hour. It makes the 1,318 km/819 mile long journey between Beijing and Shanghai take a mere 4 hours and 48 minutes with a brief stop at Nanjing. Launched in June of 2011, the railway was the first one designed for speeds up to 380 km/hour (236 miles/hour), making it the fastest train in the world. The journey from Beijing to Shanghai took 3 hours and 58 minutes compared to 9 hours and 49 minutes on parallel railways with conventional trains. However, after a few mishaps shortly after its launch, the train was slowed down to its current rate averaging 300 km per hour/186 miles per hour.
Photo below: Pulling up into the Beijing train station I am amazed by its modernity and vastness. There are railways everywhere.
Entering Beijing’s train station which is extremely modern (except for the bathrooms: Squat toilets of course). Security was tight and the place was packed.
An up close look at a G Train. Impressive!
There are rows and rows of G Trains waiting for its passengers to board. Each train has a “sightseeing” class with only four luxurious seats, one section of first-class seats (with about twenty-four seats) and 16 trains of regular coach seats.
Leaving Beijing there are tons of buildings in the midst of construction. We made a joke that the national bird of China is the “Crane”.
Per GMO (9/2011), “over 200 skyscrapers are under construction in China today. This is equivalent to the total number of skyscrapers in the U.S. today”.
As the train slowly rolls out of Beijing, passing by one new building conglomerate after the other, it becomes evident what is really going on in China.
“A giant smog of unreality hangs over Chinese property. SocGen calculates that over the last decade, China has completed 16 billion square meters of floor space. This is equivalent to building Rome every two weeks” (SocGen, June 23, 2011)”.
As we would soon witness during our five hour train ride, this construction boom has resulted in vast “Ghost cities” across China in which there are no inhabitants and the cranes cease to be working. The China National Bureau of Statistics and GMO estimate that there will be up to 75 million new homes built this year.
Per the Financial Times*:
“After a decade of soaring prices, signs are that the world’s most populous nation faces its first real estate crash. That would be dire for other countries that rely on China to fuel their own economic growth”.
Some scary trends:
Home prices in Beijing have risen by about 150 percent in the past four years.
Residential transactions are down 11.6 percent from last year, all across China.
Analysts say an urban apartment costs 8-10 times the average annual income nationwide. In Beijing and Shanghai the multiple is closer to 30.
Construction accounts for 13 percent of the economy, one-quarter of all investment and 40 percent of steel use.
*Source:Financial Times “A lofty ceiling reached” (12/14/2011 by Jamil Anderlini).
As we head out of Beijing, passing by all the look-a-like buildings and apartment complexes, the G Train finally starts to pick up speed reaching of dizzying 306 km/hr or 190 miles/hour. It is the fastest speed I’ve ever traveled by train and my stomach felt it.
Finally we had left Beijing and were in the countryside and it was beautiful ….but not for long.
Ghost cities appeared in the distant horizon and it freaked me out….they were everywhere!
This photo below spooked me the most. We were in the middle of nowhere and in the distance there was a gigantic “Ghost City” where everything had stopped in time, uncompleted. The initial belief of the Chinese government and real estate tycoons was “we will build and they will follow”. Not so sure if it is true.
After almost five hours of passing ghost town after ghost town, I was fascinated and in shock. I have never seen such massive construction and building anywhere before. It is phenomenal. In a country where property construction accounts for an estimated 13% of GDP in the world’s second largest economy, what will happen when the real estate bubble comes to a half? The economic ramifications for China, its people and the world are frightening. Let’s hope for a soft landing.
Arrival at Shanghai’s Rail Station…..and on to the next adventure.
China is a place awash in complexities and paradoxes. It is a place that is growing, developing and modernizing at lightening speed yet at the same time is being held down by its ugly past. It is full of splendid culture and traditions dating back thousands of years. Yet, it also has some disturbing truths that may someday bring the current Communist Party and its “emperor” down.
As the country continues to race towards become the next global leader and world power, the housing bubble is finally showing unwanted signs of crashing, the Communist Party is hammering down and trying to stop the rapid growth of micro-blogging, human rights activist, journalist and anyone speaking out against the government is imprisoned and severely punished, the environment is rapidly deteriorating, pollution is pitiful, and ghost towns lay dormant. All the same, China is still technically booming and its people are better off today than they were twenty years ago. China has witnessed one of mankind’s most incredible rise of its people out of poverty.
Yet, where are they headed? What would happen if the economy begins to stagger or fall? Will people speak up and protest? Will there be a Chinese Spring? What will happen to the 900 million peasants who have seen their life improve but still have a long way to go? What will happen to the rest of the world if China is hurting?
The implications are mind-boggling and of course would have worldwide effects. It is no coincidence that articles on current events in China are found daily in papers, online and on TV. China is huge, important and will impact us all.
Perhaps these questions are why despite not “loving” traveling to China, I have found it one of the most fascinating places I’ve ever been. China is at the center stage of the world right now and to be there, witnessing it all, is an amazing travel experience.
To wrap up my Beijing posts, I felt a photo blog on “Daily Life in Beijing” would help illustrate the complexities and paradoxes of this fascinating place. I am also including a list of intuitive articles on China today, for those who want to learn more. (See the bottom of the post for links).
Here is a walk through Daily Life in Beijing. Hope you enjoy.
Old versus New: A remaining part of the ancient city wall in the heart of Beijing.
All that remains is a dilapidated old wall. Whereas right down the street is Wangfujing Dajie (below), a Vegas meets New York City-styled pedestrian walking street and shopping Mecca.
And the new….
The Lion is the symbol of China and can be see throughout the country protecting its inhabitants for thousands of years.
The red lantern, another prominent symbol in China.
For some reason, I truly love this picture.
The Hutongs represent the old part of Beijing. Hundreds exist yet many have been torn down in the thrust towards modernization.
In a high-density city of over 20 million inhabitants, there are still many places like this one to find peace and solitude and enjoy nature.
Signs of westernization and commercialism are prevalent but not overbearing like in most cities in Europe…note the Starbucks above.
Yet traditional architecture can be found throughout the city bringing the visitor back to the days of the dynasties and reminding us of China’s long history and path.
Truly spectacular hand-painted art embraces the heart and soul of Beijing.
As you explore Beijing’s streets, you are struck by the contrasts between old and new. Modern and traditional. I found the local farmer’s markets to be one of those great contrasts and delights.
I have never seen such an enormous pile of lettuce in my life! And it looked so fresh…
Buyers and supplies loaded their produce onto the back of their bicycles, just like the old days.
Tai Chi could be seen practiced daily along the streets of Beijing usually in the mornings.
Or you could find parks filled with retired Chinese playing Chess, Checkers and cards.
Ping-pong is also popular in Beijing’s many parks.
Some of Beijing’s oldest Hutongs have been transformed into modern-day party central, filled with outdoor bars, terraces and craziness. It was where all the young, somewhat rebellious Beijing youth hung out at night.
Beijing is still a large bicycling community. There are even pathways like these along the streets for bikes, motorbikes, motorcycles and electric bikes. It is one of the main ways the Beijing people get around the city: On two wheels. The electricity and bike park outside the Hutongs.
Laundry can often still be seen drying outside the home or apartment balcony. I was impressed with the creative methods for drying laundry in big cities! The pollution, congestion and traffic where alarming and frightening. This is the typical day in Beijing. Gray, smoggy and dark. This parked car shows how dirty the air is! I had to take a picture of it. Not sure if it ever got or will get washed. Most Chinese live in apartments. In a country of 1.3 billion people, space is key. Most of the apartment complexes I saw in Beijing were quite dreary like this one below. It reminded me of a Soviet-era complex. As you get out of the central part of town on the Ring Road, you pass a million of these kinds of apartment complexes where there are several generic-looking gray buildings clumped together as a some sort of compound. These kinds of developments are going up for miles and miles outside of the city. I have never seen so many apartment complexes being built anywhere. It simply blew me away and made me realize the gravity and magnitude of the Chinese ballooning population.
As our time dwindled in Beijing, I left feeling perplexed and uncertain about my feelings of this city. The history was amazing yet the complexities bothered me. I wonder what will become of Beijing and of China? How will it transform and grow into the next century? Will it hold on to its long traditions or will it become more westernized? Will democracy come or will the people remain powerless and voiceless in their own country. It certainly will be interesting to see.
For further reading on China, please see the following articles:
Financial Times, “A lofty ceiling reached” 12/14/11 by Jamil Anderlini
Financial TImes, “Beijing in a hole over new homes” 11/15/11 by Simon Rabinovitch
ZeroHedge.com: “Guest Pot: Some Things You Should Know About China” by Tyler Durden
Also the tremendous book, “China Wakes: The Struggle for the Soul of a Rising Power“ by Nicolas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn is an excellent read. It is a little outdated by I think these two brilliant New York Times Writers are right on target with what is happening in China. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about China.
When you think of China’s city lights. your mind often rests on Shanghai and Hong Kong: Big cities, amazing skyscrapers and incredible lighting at night. These cities sometimes feel like Disneyland or Vegas, captivating your souls and imagination. There is an odd resemblance to Christmas, as the city lays aglow in uncanny lights.
After visiting Shanghai I admit that the city’s evening lights are unbelievable and mesmerizing. I instantly fell in love with the city at night, and felt that Shanghai was almost right up there with Paris, the City of Lights (yet I prefer the older city atmosphere of Paris over the newly built, ultra modern Shanghai). I could have sat there all night admiring the lights over the Bund and Pudong in Shanghai. I had never seen anything quite like it before and I realized that the night in Shanghai was by far more beautiful than the day time when the city was awash in pollution, traffic and noise.
For as much as Shanghai’s lights beckon, I believe that Beijing’s city lights are highly under-rated and definitely worth admiring. Maybe it is the old-world architecture that I fancy or perhaps the initial belief that Beijing would be uneventful. One night in Beijing proved that my assumptions were wrong. It was not a gray, dull, boring city. Instead, it is an ancient city beaming with life as soon as the sun sets.
The beauty of Beijing at night can’t be denied. It is a place worth exploring with your eyes wide open….
The Forbidden City at night is unbelievably spectacular. My only regret is that I’m not a better photographer as I was unable to truly capture the dreamlike nature of this place at night.
View from the cab. I love this photo. I feel that it captures the true energy of Beijing at night. I took it from our cab window obviously while we were moving.
Picture of Ghost Street, the renowned street with any kind of Chinese food that your heart desires.
Right outside of our hotel was one of the largest street food venues I’d seen. It was bustling with activity as soon as the sun set. Hungry customers lined up and ordered their meals on a stick to go (of course cooked fresh right in front of their eyes).
The main pedestrian street at night was filled with colors and entertainment. There were enormous flat screened TVs built into the sides of buildings. Kind of reminded me again of Vegas or New York.
Restaurants awaited hungry customers….
My only regret was that I was too tired from jet lag and walking eight hours throughout the day to stay up later and enjoy the sensational beauty of Beijing at night. For the city’s secrets are often revealed at night when it is quite, more peaceful and full of a different kind of life.
Before visiting China, I had the amazing opportunity to hike the Annapurna Circuit trek in Nepal. As I’ve said time and time again in my blog and to family and friends, this was the one trip in my life that really touched my soul. It inspired me. It changed me. And most of all, it encouraged me to continue exploring as many far off destinations that I can possibly visit.
My trip to Nepal was my first exposure to the Buddhist religion. Sharing a border with India, Nepal, a tiny mountainous kingdom, was exposed to two main religions: Hinduism and Buddhism, that grew and developed to become the two prominent religions in Nepal. During my trek through rural mountains villages in Nepal, I was blessed with one Buddhist village after another. Temples, colorful prayer flags, gigantic prayer wheels and burning juniper incense infiltrated my heart and soul. The monks dressed in maroon robes and praying softly was a pleasant, peaceful experience. I instantly purchased the Dalai Lama’s famous autobiography when I got home. I felt inspired by this magical religion and wanted to learn more.
I read his book, appropriately titled “Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama“, and felt an anger and shock burning inside my soul that drove me mad. I could not believe what the Chinese government had done. It was tragic, sad and terrible. Yet, it was a story that had been repeated all too frequently in our world’s history. America and the injustice done to the Native Americans. The “colonization” of South America. The tearing apart of Africa. And the list goes on.
What I had a hard time coming to terms with after reading this book was my feelings on traveling to China. I understood that human rights were far from being achieved by the Tibetans as well as most of the population of China. Would I be ok with that?
Driving around town in the Twin Cities (the local term here for Minneapolis and St. Paul area) I grew accustomed to seeing “FreeTibet” bumper sticks on many cars. I knew that the Dalai Lama had recently come here to speak with his people, the local Tibetans who have come here in exile to start a new life.What do they think of the Chinese government?I wondered but felt like I knew.
I wouldn’t find my answer of course until I was in China, looking around, visiting Buddhist temples and talking to people. The first stop in my quest to understand Buddhism in Beijing was the most revered Buddhist temple outside of Tibet: The Lama Temple. Originally built in 1694 during the Qing dynasty it was used as a palace and later changed to lamasery in 1744 by Emperor Qianlong. Today it is the largest, most well-preserved lamasery outside of Tibet and is a renowned place of worship, pilgrimage and importance in the heart of China’s capital.
We set off on our last afternoon, walking, to the Lama Temple. After reading the Dalai Lama’s tragic account of events, I wasn’t sure what kind of religion I’d find in China. I understood that the Communist Party of China had no official religion yet tolerated religious practice to some degree. Yet it was hard to get a sense of how religious the Chinese are overall since many prefer to keep their religion private. Some estimates state that there are approximately 100 million Buddhists in China. It is the most prevalent religion, followed by 18 million Muslims, 10 million Protestants, and 4 million Catholics (Facts from “Culture Smart China: The Essential Guide to Customs and Culture” 2010 edition). Yet in a land of 1.3 billion people, these numbers lead me to believe that there are a lot of people who do not practice a religion or chose not to tell anyone that they do. Like most statistics in China, it is hard to get a clear picture.
Regardless, Buddhism has a strong cultural importance in China as it has been inside the country for thousands of years since its introduction from India via the Silk Road. I was keen to visit the Lama Temple and see what it was all about. After visiting this lovely place, I was even more confused than ever. For it was simply serene and the devoutness of the practicing Chinese Buddhists was deeply touching. It didn’t make sense to me what had happened and why Tibet cannot be free. Like most of my trip to China, it proved that it is a land of paradoxes and contradictions that a foreigner may never fully understand. There are many questions in life that will remain forever unanswered. Perhaps this is one of them.
Here are my pictures and commentary from my visit.
The walk from our hotel near the Forbidden City took us over an hour passing through main thoroughfares, small streets and plenty of interesting things to take pictures of. We knew that we were finally getting closer to the Lama Temple when we reached this street packed full of Tibetan shops.
Suddenly gray dull Beijing came to life with color, smell and sounds as we entered the Buddhist district near the Lama Temple.
The majestic archway leading into the Lama Temple.
The walkway to the temple was beautifully adorned with shade trees that cast a peaceful glow on the area.
There were plenty of monks dressed in brilliant orange.
Some monks had obviously come from far to pray and also be like a tourist and snap some photos.
When you were done with your incense, you placed them in the fire pit to burn.
As always, there were lions protecting the temple. This one is a male with its location on the east side of the building and grasping a ball.
The breathtaking architecture of the temple reminded me of the palaces in the Forbidden City. Yet the smoke-filled air from the burning incense gave the Lama Temple a much more mystical feel.
Perhaps there was too much smoke in the air to take this picture but I still enjoy the close-ups of the incredible art and detail of the buildings.
I left the Lama Temple feeling relaxed and peaceful. It was such a special place and I was relieved to see so many ordinary Chinese there practicing their religion openly. It is estimated that hundreds of Buddhist temples were destroyed after the revolution in China in 1949. It is a pity that they no longer exist.
Stay tuned..Next stop is “Everyday life in Beijing”. It is my last post on Beijing and a compilation of tons of great photos I haven’t shown yet. Thanks for reading !
Throughout my stay in urban China, I was bemused, amazed, surprised and continually fascinated by the resourcefulness of the Chinese in regards to modes of transportation. Here is a photo blog of what inspired me.
When getting around or transporting goods, anything works, especially bicycles!
These were the “party bikes” located in the bar zone of the Hutongs. I loved seeing all the young Chinese gals cruise around on these fun bikes for bar hopping.
One of many bike parks. I loved the electric bikes. They were sleek and quiet. You hardly knew they were there.
I especially loved these little bicycles. Not sure if they have a special name or not. But they sure are cute!
With such heavy traffic and high costs for cars and trucks, it is no wonder the bicycle is the number one mode of transportation for both people and goods.
Sidewalks, streets and highways…no matter! If you are a pedestrian, you just had to watch out for passing motorcycles and bikes!
Meals on Wheels! Hungry anyone?
The Daily Commute: Beijing. (Look at all the smog!).
I loved these little “tin cars”. There was no way I was ever going to step foot in one of them though. I don’t think you’d come out alive if you got in an accident in one of these little cars. I even saw them on the highways! Scary.
Thankfully Beijing had their own devoted “Bike and Motorbike” lane. This made things far safer except of course at the intersections where it was a free for all between bikes, motorcycles, pedestrians and cars!
There are plenty of buses in China which is a cheap and affordable way to travel.
A motorcycle park. Genius idea!
Driving is the most dangerous mode of transportation in all of China. Per Lonely Planet China, “China’s roads kill without mercy. Traffic accidents are the major cause of death for people aged 15 and 45, and the World Health Organization estimates there are 600 traffic death a day!”. After spending ten days in China, I completely understood these facts. Driving is crazy there (like many big cities in the world) and it was even more scary being a pedestrian in Beijing. Vehicles do not think twice about driving right towards pedestrians even if there is a walk sign in the cross walk. You have to really be careful and use a 360 view when crossing the street (if you want to make it safely across!).
I had heard about these graphic displays of “Traffic accidents and resulting deaths” before and was thus forewarned that they are disturbing. Here is a display set up in the heart of Beijing. The police were passing out flyers with pictures in case these warning signs weren’t enough.
After seeing these graphic displays of fear, I was a bit weary getting in taxis (especially in Shanghai where our hired cab driver drove over 100 mph on the highways, passing on the shoulder. I finally told him to slow down as the pictures continually returned to my mind).
Stay tuned…more China coming up soon! I may even sneak in a few posts about Minnesota!
Finding the Hutongs at night were hard but fun! At least we had a sign to guide us in. Yet once inside the Hutongs, it was anyone’s bet on which direction to go. There were no maps nor streetlights to lead your way. In some Hutongs, a flashlight would have really come in handy!
My last post on China was by far one of my favorites: In Search of Beijing’s Hidden Hutongs. As I mentioned in the post, the Hutongs, or narrow alleyways, are the true heart and soul of Beijing’s past. They are magical maze-like places which instantly transport you back in time, to thousands of years ago. The rooftops were by far my favorite thing to capture on film. They were so detailed and so lovely. I could have spent hours just taking picture after picture of each and every one. I also truly loved the sense of adventure and discovery while wandering around the hutongs. The narrow alleyways snaked around in mysterious ways and you had to decide whether or not to go left or right or continue on straight. It reminded me of the Dr. Seuss Book “Oh the places you’ll go“.
After our second day in Beijing, we finally discovered a fabulous hutong near Qianhai lake which was loaded with restaurant after restaurant. We decided that day that we would have to return at night for a meal and if we had the energy, hit the bar section further down where the generation X and Y’s of Beijing let off some steam.
The main difficulty for returning to the Hutongs at night was once again finding them! As I mentioned in my earlier post, they are marked yet still difficult to find on a map and cars are not allowed inside them. Thus if you took a cab to a Hutong, they typically would drop you off outside of the entrance on one of the main drags and you’d have to weave your way back inside the serpentine maze of the Hutong to try to find your destination. It wasn’t easy to find in the day time and the night time was even harder as the hutungs are not very well-lite thus you are often found wandering around in complete darkness.
This was right up my alley in terms of adventure and “getting lost”! I loved it and best of all, we did finally find our way around some of the Hutongs thus were able to enjoy them at night as well.
Finally we found the main entrance to one of the best Hutongs in town! Now who would imagine it would be located back here, behind this construction area? Yet it was our way of finding it again at night! We followed the main drag and looked for the crane above. Then we wove around the side of the construction and voila! There it was, an enormous maze-like Hutong loaded with boutiques, restaurants and bars!
Finally we found international restaurants! We found Italian, British, Indian and more! I could hardly contain my excitement since I was not enjoying Chinese food so much. This area was only about a 40 minute walk from our hotel. Yes, a bit far but worth the walk and it felt great to get exercise after a big meal.
Once you entered the Hutongs, there were many parts like this one above that were almost pitch black! I could have really used a flashlight there!
We had dinner at a fabulous little Indian restaurant that we found in Lonely Planet and actually had searched for during the day and found it that night. I loved having my favorite Indian foods in the heart of Beijing. It felt kind of strange but then again, I love Indian food so why not?
We didn’t make it to the wild and crazy bar Hutong (never quite figured out what the name of it was). When we had passed it during the late afternoon, things were already picking up. There were three-person bikes to rent, rooftop bars with sofas on top and lots of loud music. It felt vibrant, fun and not at all like most parts of gray, old, stiff Beijing. I really wished I had the chance to hang out there for a few hours and learn about the young, rebellious youth think of it all. Beijing, China, Communism and the future.
Stay tuned….more China coming soon! I still haven’t finished Beijing and Shanghai will be a delight as well. Thanks for reading!
While waiting in the American Airlines lounge at Chicago O’Hare to catch our international flight to Beijing, we found ourselves talking to a China “travel warrior”, one of those successful American businessmen who had either the luxury or the headache (depending on how you view things) of traveling overseas constantly to Asia. Since I never got his name, I’ll call him the Chinese Travel Warrior as it seemed to fit. He’d been to China at least 40 times and was well versed in the ins and outs of traveling and doing business there. He’d informed me gleefully about the preparation of Peking duck as well as showed me a picture on his cell phone of what you’d get in China if you ordered Chicken Soup (yes, a real dead chicken foot sprouting out of the top). He told me the good and the bad, the nice and the dirty and helped get me excited about the adventure ahead.
Probably the best piece of advice that the Chinese Travel Warrior gave me, however, had to do with sightseeing. He told me that I had to spend some time in Beijing’s infamous Hutongs or “narrow alleyways” that mysteriously thread through the heart of old Beijing. He told me that the Hutongs are where the history, culture and life of old China can be seen, if that is, you can find them.
Not knowing or understanding at all what the Hutong are, I opted to search my beloved Lonely Planet China and here is what I found about Beijing’s Hutongs:
The spirit and soul of the city lives and breathes among these charming and ragged lanes where a warm sense of community and hospitality survives. Criss-crossing chunks of Beijing within the Second Ring Road, the hutong link up into a huge and enchanting warren of one-story dwellings and historic courtyard homes. Hundreds of hutong survive but many have been swept aside in Beijing’s race to build a modern city.
The description of the hutongs obviously grabbed my attention and lead my father and I on a three-day search in finding the best and the most colorful hutongs in all of Beijing. Here is a collection of my photos taken during our explorations of Beijing’s Hidden Hutongs.
Finding the Hutongs was half the battle and half the fun. Our first day in Beijing, I was on a mission to find them. We walked until we dropped, for over eight hours, pounding the pavement of Beijing. I had read in Lonely Planet that all the Hutongs are marked with a historic sign. Yet finding them on a map was another challenge all together. We realized that the best way to find these hidden treasures was to walk without a map and explore.
Eventually after lunch we found our first section of Hutongs located directly behind the Forbidden City. Before I saw the red sign (photo below), I noticed a dramatic change in the architecture of the buildings and most notably the roofs (photo above). They looked old.…could these be part of the Hutongs I was searching for? I wondered.
This sign confirmed it: Our first Hutong spotting!
Yet this Hutong wasn’t too inviting. Perhaps it was being renovated? We decided not to walk down and explore it much further than this picture. I knew there would be more. Many more. We would just have to find them!
We continued our walk down Beichang Jie, one of the main drags located behind the Forbidden City, in search of more Hutongs. We saw lots of interesting photo shots like the one above which I adore. I love the old bicycles and the cool buildings.
We walked a little further and came across this lovely Hutong. I found a splendid alleyway but there was not much else back there but quiet courtyard homes.
I was fascinated by the Hutongs and could have explored them all day long! Here is my dad going under the electrical boxes that provide electricity to these ancient homes.
The Hutongs are narrow thus all bicycles are normally parked outside the entrance. I love this picture. For some reason, it is one of my favorites from the trip.
During our second day in Beijing, we discovered an entirely new area of Hutongs located by Qianhai Lake in North Dongcheng. These Hutongs were more than residential and had stores, bars, restaurants and even chic boutique designer shops. Here is a more lively Hutong that we found the second day which snaked around in many different directions.
I found it hard to not get lost. Yet getting lost was probably the best aspect of our search for the hidden Hutongs. That meant you discovered new things that you probably would have missed. Sometimes traveling without a map is the best way to travel.
If you did get lost or not want to get lost, you always had the option of hiring a rickshaw to show you the way. We found this line up of eager rickshaw guides in a more touristy section of Hutongs (now what it was called still remains a mystery to me! Again, it is a hutong that we managed to stumble upon and never found it again!).
Comparing notes and trying to work a deal.
After hours of walking and exploring, we finally came across this trendy Hutong that had tons of cool bars, restaurants and shops. This time we made a note on how to get there and find it again!
Some of the beautiful boutique shops found in the Hutong.
By lunch time, we were ready to take a rest and found the perfect place, The Passby Bar, located on Nanluogu Xiang, which was a great place to eat and watch the world go by.
Above is a picture of all the restaurant’s Lonely Planets! Apparently the owner is an avid world traveler!
As we entered the Passby, it felt like entered some kind of English pub.
I LOVED their motto: BETTER TRAVEL THAN DEAD! It seems like it was written for me!
After a delightful lunch with of course a glass of wine, it was back to it. I was determined to find more of Beijing’s hidden Hutongs and the more we walked, the more we discovered.
The architecture was a photographers dream.
We left the Hutongs feeling excited about what we’d seen and looking even more forward to coming back to experience them at night, when they come to life with people, lights and mystery.
The Chinese Travel Warrior was right….you can’t possibly see Beijing without finding the hidden Hutongs which are the true heart and soul of the city and its magical past.
Stay tuned…next post will be on Beijing’s Hutongs at night!
Ok….drum roll please. Da da da da daaaaaaaaaaaaaaa (pause). Today is a milestone day (breathe). A day which I have dreaded, fretted about, worried about, cried about for over 365 days. Today I am 40 years old (gulp). Yep, thirdeyemom was born on December 6th, 1971 and today marks my fortieth year.
An oldie but goodie. Me on my sixth birthday receiving my first pair of clogs. December 6, 1977.
There are lots of milestones throughout your life. Learning to walk. Learning to talk. Learning how to swim and ride a bike. Having your first sleep-over. Learning to drive. Going on your first date. Having your first kiss. Graduating high school. Leaving home. Starting your first job. Meeting your husband. Getting married. Having kids. And, of course turning 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and so on.
No matter what your age is, I am sure you feel the same way at each milestone birthday: Excited, scared, nervous and in disbelief at just how fast life seems to be going. Turning 40 is a big one. It means you are officially “middle-aged“, you have technically lived over half of your life already (unless you are like my grandpa who just turned 96!), you can remember when your own parents turned 40, and you may even discover your first gray hair (the wrinkles have already long set in).
But….no worries! What I’ve had to come to terms with over the last 365 days is that of course there is no turning back time. You’re 40. So why not decide to be “forty and fabulous”? Of course there is no real fountain of youth yet there are ways to keep feeling young.
Here is my top ten list of ways to turn 40 yet feel like you’re 30. For age is all a state of mind, isn’t it? Life is a journey. Each day is a gift. It’s called the presence!
So, without further delay here is my top ten list of How to Occupy 40:
1. Exercise daily. Run, walk, swim, bike or practice yoga. Just do it. It will keep you feeling younger, healthier, happier and thinner.
2. Get plenty of sleep and eat good. This is huge. No McDonalds, potato chips, etc. Instead eat lots of whole grains, fruits and veggies. The occasional junk food pig-out is fine. Just don’t do it all the time; you’ll pay for it more!
3. Smile, relax and laugh often. Enjoy life! It’s the only one you’ve got!
4. If you see a gray hair, dye it! Why not look in the mirror and look young? It will make you feel younger! (Thankfully as a blond, I don’t have any yet. But that doesn’t mean I don’t make my hair “blonder!”).
5. Travel as much as possible. Travel keeps you young. It keeps you learning, challenged and fascinated by the world.
6. Learn something new each year. Take a photography class, an art class or learn a new language. It will keep you challenged and growing.
7. Volunteer and give back. It is important to remember those in need. Helping others makes you feel warm inside and helps the soul.
8. If you have kids, play with them! Be a kid yourself again. It feels great to be silly.
9. Manage your stress. Stress wears you down, makes you feel awful. Try your best to not let the little things bug you.
10. Live, laugh and love! Life is short, enjoy it to the fullest extent possible.
If you have ever traveled anywhere in Asia then you have certainly experienced the “curse of the Asian Toilet” before. Otherwise known as the squat toilet, it can be a brutal and stinky affair, especially for women who do not have the biological convenience that men do (yes, God must truly be a man!).
I, myself, am well past any issues with the squat toilet. After traveling for three weeks in Nepal (in which over half of it was in remote villages in the Himalayas) I got broken in rather quickly to the “do’s” and “don’ts” of squat toilet etiquette. For example, Do carry toilet paper. Do always have hand sanitizer available (since there is seldom anywhere to wash hands let alone find running water). Do carry a flashlight. And most important: Do cover your noise (don’t you dare breathe in through your nose! Mouth breathing only) and Do, and I mean Do, try your best to not look down or spill. This is tricky for a female who isn’t equip like a male. But it is a reality that we must face especially when using a squat toilet! You definitely don’t want any accidents when you are traveling all day long wearing the same pair of pants!
For me, going to China and dealing with the lack of the “western toilet” (as my beloved Nepali guide called it) was going to be nothing after three weeks of roughing it in Nepal. I’d seen plenty of bad, cold, smelly toilets. After awhile it was determined that sometimes mother nature was best.
So, I thought amused that it was no big deal dealing with the Asian toilet situation during my travels. I’d done it, I’d mastered it and best of all, the hotel would most likely have a western toilet (unlike in Nepal where I went three weeks without one).
What I found so incredibly fascinating in China was the controversy regarding the Asian toilet (especially before Beijing hosted the Olympics in 2008), the resulting growth of the public toilets (over 5,333 were added to prepare for the Olympics), the new rating star-standards of toilets, and last but not least, the hilarious commentary I saw about the wonder of the porcelain gods. I couldn’t get enough of toilets during my trip!
Strolling along Beijing’s Chang’an Avenue in May, Kevin Born was drawn to an ancient Chinese-style building with delicate wooden carvings and wash paintings — only to find it was a public toilet.
Inside, he found a granite floor, remote-sensor flushing, automatic hand drier and piped music. He found it difficult to believe that only three years ago when he first came to China, answering nature’s call was an experience not for the faint-hearted.
“You had to take a deep breath and dash into the toilet. You held your breath and your head high, and never looked down. Then you’d dash out quickly for another gasp of fresh air. All within 30 seconds,” recalls Kevin, 30, an engineer from Germany.
The city launched a three-year campaign — with a 400-million-yuan (57 million U.S. dollars) investment — to modernize its public toilets in 2005 as part of its effort to prepare for the 2008 Olympic Games.
With 1,000 new public toilets being built and renovated each year, the fetid back-street privies are being replaced with clean, well-maintained flush toilets.
Now, Beijing is flushed with pride that all the 5,333 public toilets, boasting standardized white male and female figure signs, are available within a five-minute walk of any downtown location. In addition, there will be 700 toilets in Olympic venues by the time the Beijing Games start and an additional 800 nearby.
Now it is time for a few of my best toilet shots (no worries….they are all flushed) as well as another interesting article I found regarding the history of toilets in China (including the introduction of the star rating system) and the push of the Chinese Government to vamp up the number of public toilets in preparation for the Olympics. Happy reading! (And please….don’t read this post on the toilet!).
Inside our hotel lobby, we had nice clean western toilets. Yet I could not stop laughing over this “lost in translation”!
One of thousands of new, convenient public toilets made available throughout Beijing in preparation for the 2008 Olympics. It was fabulous having so many public toilets available! Most were all the traditional squat toilet, however, they were clean, not sticky and readily available everywhere. It made a day of sightseeing or an evening of drinking beer easy. (Don’t you hate it when you are traveling and desperately need to use the bathroom but can’t find one anywhere?! Not possible in Beijing, thanks to the thousands of newly minted public toilets).
More public toilets located in the famous Hutongs. They even had sinks with working running water! Some had toilet paper too….bonus!
See, they are now nice and clean! Not the old nasty ones that left people ready to pass out. Locals and tourists alike embraced the availability and cleanliness of the new toilets.
Different styles of public toilets that were “stand-alones” and much nicer than our “Port-a-Pottys” back at home.
I could not resist grabbing my camera and taking this picture of the sign in the bathroom at one of the restaurants we ate at in Beijing. Too funny!
It was not posted once but twice! Guess they meant business!
In Shanghai, I nearly fell off my (toilet) seat when I realized that (a) it was heated! (b) it had a “rear cleansing” option and (c) it had a dryer! Now that is a little disturbing, isn’t it. (No, I did not try any of these services).
The toilet was constantly heated to a warm 90 degrees F. Guess they want you to stay seated for a while and enjoy! Ha!
Stay tuned…enough silly business. I’m starting to remind myself of my kids and their non-stop adoration of “potty talk”! Next post will be on Beijing’s fabulous Hutongs! Thanks for reading!
