Ni Hao from Beijing

The flipflops, toe ring, and ankle bracelet from India are in 'storage' -- we've gone from the vibrant colors of India and the neon flash of Bangkok to a palette of black, red, and military green. Beijing is cool, a relief from the heat and sweat of the last several months on the road. I had to dig the jeans, long sleeves, and jacket from the depths of my backpack. We awoke on our second morning here, several days ago, with cold temps, gray skies, and light rain... but it seemed perfect weather for Beijing. The interiors of the old buildings with dark wood screens and red lanterns have a cozy, wintry feel. And outside, white fuzzy 'liuxu' (willow catkins that come with Spring) float in the air giving the impression of snow.

Our first morning here, we struck out into the Hutong alleyways -- the Hutong are the 'old streets' that criss cross Beijing from East to West, originally built in the Mongol Yuan dynasty, after Genghis Khan's army sacked the city. The alleyways are lined with courtyard homes, where life is lived much like the old days. Nowadays, many are disappearing as modern Beijing continues to grow, especially with the 2008 olympics in sight, with large tree lined boulevards, mirrored skyscrapers, and glitzy shopping malls.

I was surprised to feel at home; walking the Beijing streets felt familiar. The old streets remind me of China Town back home, and the new streets remind me of any modern city. Before arriving, we'd been 'warned' that few people in China speak English, but so far we've had no problems and when language is a barrier, there is always sign language... which works best when asking for the price of something. However, in China, the method for counting on fingers is a foreign language as well, but an easy one to learn. For example, number 10 is communicated with two closed fists, each with the index finger extended, one crossing over the other to form an 'X'.

Since our arrival on Monday morning (I'm writing this Friday a.m.), we've walked close to 25 miles -- falling into bed the last few nights, exhausted, at 8 p.m. We've run ourselves ragged. There is A LOT to do in Beijing: Tianneman Square, the Mao Zedong Mausoleum (his dead body is on display), The Forbidden City, The Great Wall, The Summer Palace, The Temple of Heaven, Hutong tours, and more... We've been to many in the list and tomorrow being our last day in Beijing, we are finding ourselves with too little time to do everything on our agenda.