Post Pizza Hut

OK - So it is my turn to type a little. I'm understanding that people are still able to view our blog even though we can't so I'll add some info about our day yesterday after lunch.

Pizza Hut next door was an adventure. We usually try to avoid eating at familiear chain restaurants when we're away from home, but this was quick (and not your average everyday Pizza Hut). Ron tried some funky clam chowder with a pastry baked across the top of the bowl. Our pizza wan't too wild but definitely not what we're used to.

After lunch we met in the hotel lobby at 1:30 for our first tour. We had a lovely young guide who took us to the Hutong Village at the center of the city. We were escorted through the area and told of the history of this very old and precious part of Beijing. Our fist stop was at a drum tower. We climbed about 70 of the biggest steps I've every climbed, but when we reached the landing we were rewarded with a very impressive drum show. These drums were played during the daytime (on the hour, I think) and during the night a bell was rung from a second tower on the opposite side of the courtyard. We were able to take some aerial photos overlooking the Hutongs before we carefuly made our way down.

Hutongs - 4 small homes built together around a courtyard - together they are called a quardringer (sp?). The Hutongs were built during the reign of a Mongolian emperor and still, the residents of this area are rich in the heritage and traditions of their ancestors.

After the drum tower, we walked to the bell tower (didn't climb this one). Here we were invited to participate in a traditional tea ceremony. It was delicious. We were taught about the "smelling" cup and the "tasting" cup. We were shown how to correctly hold the cups as well:

Women -- Hold the cup with the thumb and index fingers on the sides and middle finger supporting the bottom. Flare out the ring and pinky fingers to symbolize the beautiful feathers of the phoenix bird.

Men -- Sam position but curl in the last two fingers to show strength and power.

We were presented with samples of a jasmine tea (to improve eyesight) and a sweet black tea flavored with a rosebud (good for memory). The were wonderful and just what I've been needing becuase my throat is terribly dry (I think from the motion sickness patches).

From there, we walked a couple of blocks to where the rickshaws provided transportation for the remainder of our tour. We were taken down extremely narrow alleys and were given a small gilmpse of life in the Hutongs by visiting two of the homes.

We learned a bit about the construction of the homes as well and the belief in fung shui (sp?). Also, the nuber of beams above the entrance is telling of the wealth of the family living there (we were shown a two beam home and a home with no beams). Just for reference, the emperor has 12 beams.

The threshhold of the home also serves a great purpose in keeping out ghosts. Apparently the ghosts hop. And, a deeper/higher threshhold at the gate will block many ghosts from hopping inside.

We learned about the meaning of the plants and koi in the courtyards. Bamboo represents long life. Pomogranate trees represent many children. And, the fish are a symbol of wealth.

This was a very interesting tour. We're very glad we went in spite of the rain. I wonder how much longer the people there will be able to continue their traditional way of life. Some of the buildings have already been destroyed in recent years for "improvement" projects (i.e. widening of roads). The area is somewhat protected now by the government, but there is also quite a lot of evidence of modern day influence.

We'll have to pause here...photos and more about yesterday and today when we return from our next tour.

Hope all is well at home.

Love - Beth & Ron

Again - typos...but no time for proofreading. Hope you are able to understand a bit about our experiences thus far.