After a good night's sleep, I'm up at 4:30 AM, ready for our first full day in China. The breakfast buffet at the Kerry is pretty spectacular, with different sections for American-style and Chinese-style foods, as well as pastries, cereal, homemade yogurt, fresh fruit and juices. One delicious item is a smoked fish, which becomes a favorite of mine on breakfast buffets. Delicious dumplings are a treat. Some are more bready, risen dough stuffed with a small amount of bean paste or other delights and then steamed and served in a bamboo steamer. These are completely smooth and look like a yeast roll that hasn't been allowed to brown. Others are the more familiar style made with a pasta dough, filled with pork or vegetables, and pinched closed to make an adorable package. Served with several sauces, including an incendiary chili sauce, they're fascinating and delicious. There are soups, which can be made-to-order by adding noodles, meats, fish, veggies, and seasonings to a pot and heating them through; Chinese cooks are waiting anxiously for my order! I wish I could have just spent the entire day exploring this fabulous smorgasbord, but alas, Beijing awaits.
We meet Jack (not his Chinese name) in the hotel lobby. Jack will be our guide for the entire trip, and is so much more than just a guide. He'll coordinate pretty much every part of our trip, ensure our safety, and provide mountains of information about the country and all the places we visit. We board Jack's Bus where we head off for "about one hour's drive" to Tiananmen Square. Everywhere we go is "about one hour's drive". While we're riding, Jack passes out the vox units that we'll use to hear his commentary on the sights, as well as to keep us together in crowded places. More than once we'll hear, "Jack's Group, this way. Follow my flag".
To get into the Square from the bus, we must cross a busy street, where Jack is careful to explain that in China, traffic lights are just a suggestion. He's not kidding. The light turns red, the pedestrian crossing light comes on, and vehicles just keep coming. Cars, buses, motorcycles, trucks....you name it, they just keep coming. Turn right on red is in play here, but not after stopping as in the US, and pedestrians definitely do not have the right of way, even in a crosswalk. We safely cross the street, scampering behind Jack and his flag like ducklings behind mama duck, and merge into the crowds in the Square.
Those of my generation will remember Tiananmen Square as the place where the Chinese protester challenged a tank in 1989. That actually didn't happen in the square, but on a nearby street; and demonstrations are still not uncommon. We're struck by the long lines of Chinese people waiting to honor Mao Zedong, whose tomb is in the square.
Tiananmen is the doorway to the Forbidden City, which was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. For five centuries visitors were forbidden in this area. A huge part of the area is outside courtyards and buildings were ceremonies were held, the palace itself is also huge but smaller than the ceremonial areas. We aren't able to enter the palace itself, but can see inside through the doors.
After our tour, our bus takes us to a local restaurant where we have a buffet lunch. This lunch is a disappointment, as the food is pretty Americanized and not the traditional Chinese we hope to enjoy on the trip. Later in the trip I would have appreciated some American food, but it's too soon now.
Ah those glorious reds and golds, so typical of Chinese temples. the colors are still brilliant even after years!
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