Day 11 - Thursday, March 4, 2004

Our last full day in China. We want to make the most of it. Zhen had been very tired last night, and spent some time crying and shouting until 10:30 p.m. We will have to up the prune quota - it won't do if she is like this on the plane tomorrow. She was up at 12:30 a.m. for a bottle, and again at 4:30 a.m. Julie called at 6:30 a.m., our usual wake up time, and she and Andy had a good talk.

We all headed off on the bus to visit an ancient neighborhood, known as a Hutong. These are small courtyards off small alleys. Surrounding the courtyard are dwellings. They are often attached together, and every square inch is used. The courtyard area is very small, and often 5 to 8 families occupy a Hutong. Usually these are either owned by the government, and in some cases private individuals, then rented out. The government is quickly taking over the Hutongs, requiring the residents to relocate in government apartments in the suburbs. In their place, new office and commercial development takes precedence. The property is quite valuable - to purchase an individual Hutong property would take two to three million dollars (US) we were told.

On the way, we passed the world famous Beijing Shi Cha Hai International Sports School. People come from all over China, and in fact from all over the world, to live and train here. Champions have been produced in Judo, ping-pong, gymnastics, Taekwando, badminton, boxing, and volleyball.

Read More About the Shi Cha Hai Sports School Here

We drove past many old areas to get to the Hutongs, down narrow roads and alleys. At many intersections, the local policeman had taken up residence, sitting on an orange crate, smoking, and talking with the locals. Suddenly we arrived at a row of Rickshaws, powered by bicycles.

The driver carefully tucked us in with a blanket, and we were off. The bicycle was ancient, and so was the driver. He was in good shape though, and we made the trip OK. The bicycle had no gears, and to get going, he had to take a little run at it. If we slowed down for a corner on a slope, he had to get out and push. There was no hand brake, just a wire tied to the front frame running to the rear wheel. To stop, the driver would press his foot on this brake cable. With a bit of grinding, we always managed to stop in time.

At our first stop, we toured a day care and kindergarten centre. As we went into the age 5 class, they burst out into song, singing the alphabet, and several other songs in English. After that, the teacher played the piano, and they all got up and wanted to dance with us and with each other. They were quite fascinated with the digital cameras, and wanted to see their pictures after we took them. The room was clean and bright, and there was good playground equipment in the courtyard. We were told that it cost about the equivalent of $16 CDN a month to send a child to this school.

The trip took us down many small alleys and turns, past many entrances to Hutong courtyards. We saw fish drying, men playing games, and many other views of old buildings. As part of the tour we went into one Hutong, and were welcomed by one of the families. They were quite taken by the babies, and enjoyed playing with them.

We crammed into the small living room, and were given an outline by our Hutong tour guide. Even though crowded, they had very nice antiques (masks, carvings, ceramic vases etc.), and furnishings, including an ornate short bed that doubled as a seat. The two adjoining rooms were sparsely furnished bedrooms. The kitchen and bathroom were in another room across the courtyard, and the facilities were very basic. There was no sewer connection, and an ancient septic bed (near the adjoining river) was used. Tea was prepared and served in the main living room, and we had a chance to ask questions. The family (husband, wife, wife's mother, no children at home) hoped to stay, but feared the government would be moving them on soon. They would be sorry to leave their neighborhood and the friends of a lifetime.

We were taken to a local garden that was in the middle of the old neighborhood. It was an ancient emperor's garden, now maintained by the government. Until recently the admission charge was too steep for most locals. It was large and ornate, with many natural rock formations. One feature was the bat cave, where bats still hang out, night and day. We bought a "Happiness Fan". It was inscribed by the writings of the emperor (even though he could write, he never did - he just composed, and his scribes wrote it down). The central Chinese character means "happiness", defined by a farm girl who has enough food and clothes. We had to be shown where the exit was - the only sign on it said "Woman", with an international women's washroom sign. We took a chance, and found that us guys could exit there too.

During our morning travels, Zhen was a sweetheart, smiling at everyone, being calm about everything. Once she gave a cry for a few seconds, and our fellow travellers said that this was the first time they have ever heard her cry! She pays rapt attention to anything new - I think we have a very intelligent one here.

I gave Andy the afternoon off to himself. Zhen really needed a rest and a quiet afternoon, and I also had a little nap. She slept solidly for an hour and a half, and woke up quite happy.

We had dropped Andy off at the Tiananmen Square on the way back to the hotel. He had a great time, particularly in the National Museum where he saw many centuries old artifacts . He was not allowed to take a picture of the wax display of Mao Tse Tung. The guard was particularly excited when another tourist jumped over the rope to put his arms around the wax Mao for a picture!

Andy then walked over to the shopping area to pick up some more gifts and toys. He braved the subway ride back to the hotel area. The Silk market was near the hotel, so Andy went to buy a suitcase to haul back all our gifts. He had quite a bargaining experience. They started at 1200 yuan (about $192 CDN). Fortunately we knew how much suitcases went for in the nearby department store, about 300 yuan. Lots of talking, laughing, looking at other things, wandering off etc. At one point, Andy wanted to look inside the case, so they took off the safety strap, opened it up, demonstrating features etc. After much more back and forth, they agreed on a good price (200 yuan, about $32 CDN), and Andy brought back a good strong suitcase. It was only later that Andy realized that they never did put back on the safety strap! Oh well - good product, good price, Andy wins, and they win too.

Out for a final supper with everyone. A great meal, lots of dishes, including duck. Waitresses were great with the kids, and our waitress spent some time with Zhen again (we had been here before). Zhen really shouted out with glee for her food, much to the delight of the others. We all went to sleep easily at 9 p.m. Tomorrow we pack and fly!

Still haven't found all 18 home page hot spots? For those who were treasure hunt deprived in childhood, for those who never could find the Easter eggs, for those computer nerds and the electronic-game challenged, click HERE (on the word HERE) to access the Home Page Cheat Sheet (if you really must!)

See More Day 11 Pictures Here