China dogs and cats
Cats and dogs are everywhere! It is hard to tell the street cats and dogs from kept cats and dogs, but some are clearly on their own. https://www.flickr.com/gp/therovingeye/6iFP30 Sign in to see full entry.
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Friday, April 12, 2019
Beijing Spring
There may be snow on the Wall, and nights may drop to cold temperatures, but spring has definitely arrived in Beijing. https://www.flickr.com/gp/therovingeye/39fry8 For the garden lovers! Sign in to see full entry.
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Favorites of Beijing, and The Great Wall
First photos--of the 800 taken!--are up! I started with my favorites of the whole trip, then added in the Great Wall. Later there will be specificgroups like the Forbidden City, the zoo, the Monk Wangsong Pagoda, and others. https://flic.kr/p/2fqvWpA start here, click to the left... Sign in to see full entry.
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Climbing to the Great Wall at Mutianyu
The ideal way to visit the Great Wall would be on a day with a light human presence, with several hours to tramp up and down the Wall as it follows the contours of the land, by stairs and ramps, through watch posts and guard towers. Ideally, one should be in good enough condition to negotiate the... Sign in to see full entry.
Monday, April 8, 2019
The Great Wall
Today we are going to visit a portion of the Wall at Mutianyu, about 50 miles north of Beijing. It is not the most visited nor the most photographed section, which is one reason I chose this tour. Also, it offers a cable-car to the top which saves my poor old back from climbing. There is the option... Sign in to see full entry.
Beijing Shopping Tour
Today we had a private tour with an English-speaking guide who not only showed us around the public market shops, but also bargained with the vendors to get us the best prices. Two machine-embroidered cashmere scarves offered at 1400 yuan we got for 160. Charlie found a hat originally at 200 yuan... Sign in to see full entry.
Saturday, April 6, 2019
Real Chinese Food
We don't get real Chinese food in the US, at least not where I have ever lived. I am sitting here in the hotel now, eating moo shu pork and braised eggplant. What they call moo shu pork here is totally different from what is meant by that in the US, where it is served with a light rice pancake, and... Sign in to see full entry.
Tea at the Pagoda and Other Adventures
We went back to the little enclave of the Monk Wansong Pagoda for the second time since the first visit, sat at the little table and had tea. We watched the big white cat whom Charlie has named Pookah, spying out his special napping nests here and there. Yesterday he--Pookah, that is--was lively,... Sign in to see full entry.
Zoo Day
We took a taxi to the zoo this morning to save my back and hips from strain, and for the same reason, used a wheelchair at the zoo. We left a deposit of 500 yuan and my passport so we would not run off with it, or abandon it somewhere. This isn't a rental, it is a free thing, so that was a pleasant... Sign in to see full entry.
Thursday, April 4, 2019
Sometimes only cash is good enough
Advice I got before the trip has turned out to be not exactly reflective of reality. For one thing, some restaurants--pretty fancy places--smiled and nodded when I showed my Discover card before we ordered. When it came time to pay the bill, however, they wanted cash only. This episode also brought... Sign in to see full entry.