All I Can Say Is, "Wow"

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Upon emerging from the tunnel under the street, I was instantly dwarfed by the Forbidden City. I crossed over marble bridges, just ahead of some tour groups. It was all I could do to hobble faster to get ahead of them. Guards and plain-clothes police watched us as we passed en masse toward the big, red gate.

Immediately after passing through the gate (it's surprisingly deep), I was dwarfed by another gate and tall walls on three sides. Then another gate and a moat. This place was built to leave an impression. I couldn't believe how big it was, and how many nooks and crannies awaited me. How big, you ask? It's nearly 8 million square feet, and in the five or so hours I spent there, I saw--at most--half of it. Every twist and turn yielded more treasures, surprises, and delights than I could ever hope to put on paper. It certainly lives up to its name as The Palace Museum.

Much of the palace is closed to tourists, but the main buildings (the ones in the middle), and the former residence buildings were all open, as were the gardens within the complex. There were a few "treasure buildings" that require an extra ticket to enter. I followed Lonely Planet's advice and bought the tickets; agree that they are worth the few extra dollars. On display are gifts received by the emperor, intricate clocks more dazzling than you can imagine, glimpses into daily imperial life, and other little treats and gems; many were so brilliant and elaborate I couldn't have dreamed them up.

Finally, feeling successful, I exited the palace and walked back around toward the front and Tiananmen Square. It was much further than I had predicted, and at one point I thought I was lost. I finally found my way back and encountered even larger crowds than I had seen this morning!

I saw a woman handing out free maps and wanted to look at one to make sure I was headed the right way for my bus stop. She refused to give it to me. When I demanded why, she replied that there was no way I could read it. Okay, I may be foreign, but if we can have this entire argument in Chinese, maybe, just maybe, I can read it. So for crying out loud, give me the benefit of the doubt and give the free damn map! After yet another refusal, I snatched one out of her hand as she tried to pass it to someone else. I soon realized it wasn't a map of the immediate area and was useless. And no, I couldn't really read it, but I have friends who can, so take that, map lady! I still oddly felt like I'd won some major battle on behalf of all foreigners in Beijing.

I stopped at the Tibetan restaurant for dinner again, this time getting egg curry and some mushroom noodle soup. This was lunch and dinner after all, and I had a big night ahead of me!

Tonight I went to the Peking Opera! It was clearly a show meant for tourists (the introduction and explanation in English, plus the lack of any Chinese in the audience was a tip off). But it was really fun and entertaining and I really enjoyed it. There was singing, kung fu, acrobatics, fabulous costumes and wonderful music all combined for a memorable performance and the experience of a lifetime.

An added bonus for the evening is that the two people from my hostel that also went to the opera performance were traveling on a long holiday from Italy. I feel certain the husband was a doctor since he was able to diagnose my leg problem as lactic acid build up. Who else knows "lactic acid" in a second language besides a doctor? His wife was also kind and they offered me some anti-inflammatory drugs to ease my pain, and told me to let them know if my legs didn't feel better. When I travel I am frequently reminded of the kindness of strangers and the need to trust people I don't know.

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Photos

Tiananmen Gate
The entrance to the Forbidden City

A door
The lion is as big as my head.