Where Dragons and Phoenixes gather

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Sunshine greeted us today hot, and a cloudless blue sky.I am a bit hung over from an evening of Tsing tao beer and a couple of bottles of wine with supper and friends. We decide to walk today and head to the Lamasery of Harmony and Peace. Beijing is as clean as a city could get I think, streets are spotless,sidewalks also swept clean.There is no where I have ever been that is as clean.Construction cranes everywhere,literally forests of them building more and more highrises and who knows what.The Olympics in 2008 must be a factor but there definately is a boom on here.Chairman Mao must be rolling over in his mausoleum. We arrive at the Lamasery which was originally the first mansion of the Prince Yong built in 1694 but now is a Buddist shrine. A fantastic place,worshippers with incense everywhere ,monks moving around taking care of things and a pleasant lack of throngs. each building has different statues of various Buddas in them some exquisite ones covered in gold and all of them treasures. One of the Buddas is carved out of a single white sandalwood tree and stands 26 meters tall!!!
I had an epiphany during a visit to the toilet here,don't worry not too many details.I found out that the toilet marked with the wheelchair sign is actually a sit down toilet instead of the more common and very awkward porcelain foot pads and hole in the floor models.I hate those.
We decided to head down to take a rickshaw through the Hutongs(old neighbourhoods) Our first experience hitting the wall of communication. But with perseverance and a couple of maps and luck we made it to more or less where we wanted to go. The fellow who we hired to pedal us around earned his money and was quickly in a sweat.Lots of small streets and alleyways,old houses. quadrangles.shops.Very interesting. Back by cab to Bob and Nadias and a quick seafood soup before Ann headed out by bicycle in rush hour traffic to rendez vous with Helene from the embassy and a visit to a tailor to get some clothes made, with fabric brought from africa via canada.She has just returned and will be clothed in new finery Saturday. Tonight we will take our hosts to dinner so till next time bye from Beijing

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