Bye Beijing!

It’s been three weeks, and now it’s over.

After countless press conferences, athlete interviews, sweaty shirts, Snickers, Chinese dinners, taxi rides, security checks, elevator & bathroom attendants, “fapiaos” (that’s Mandarin for receipts), water bottles, live shots, and other interesting experiences I can’t remember right now … we’re heading home.

We’ve met wonderful people from all over the world, but the warmest thank you goes to the Chinese people who welcomed us and made us feel at home.

The Beijing Olympics were simply spectacular.

Xie xie China!

-Aixa

 

 

Things You Can’t Do in China

Travis Sherwin/Orlando

There are a lot of signs around Beijing telling you what you cannot do. It’s probably no more than in America, but it’s really spelled out here.

Here’s list of what you can’t do at the Summer Palace, a popular historical tourist attraction:

You Can't Do This

No motorcycle riding.

No picking flowers.

No sitting on the railings.

No taxis.

No littering.

No playing of music.

No rollerblading.

No ballplaying.

No guns.

No dogs.

No fireworks.

No open fires.

On my way out, I noticed this sign:

What Does This Mean?

Mady, my new friend and translator, said it means, “No open fires in cars.” Who knew that open fires in cars were so popular that you needed a sign to prevent them? (There’s a good chance this sign’s true meaning is lost in translation.)

The wait for a cab as we left the Summer Palace was impossibly long, so I chose to ride in this:

Traditional Rickshaw

It’s a common sight on the streets of Beijing – a traditional rickshaw. We hired the driver to take us to a restaurant for lunch. He told us the ride would be $20 yuan.

Price Haggling

After arriving at the restaurant, the driver told us, “Oh, no, it’s not $20 yuan, it’s $20 yuan per person.”

Mady wasn’t very pleased, but we agreed that the guy probably needed it given the condition of his rickshaw.

And $40 yuan is only $6.70 in U.S. dollars.

-Travis

Summer Palace

Travis Sherwin/Orlando

Yesterday I spent some time at a popular tourist spot within the city of Beijing, the Summer Palace. You’ve seen this place a lot if you’re watching the Olympic coverage. NBC frequently uses aerials of it as bump shots.

The Summer Palace is a very large park, with exquisite buildings, beautiful gardens and a grand lake.

Dominating the park is the Temple of Buddist Incense. It sits on a steep hill and is three stories tall.

Temple of Buddhist Incense

Inside is an elegant statue called Buddha with One Thousand Hands and Eyes. It is 16 feet tall and has 12 heads and 24 arms. Pictures of the statue are not allowed, but I did get a good shot of the incredible detail on the exterior of the temple.

Incredible Detail

The buildings are very similiar to those in the Forbidden City. Here’s an impressive lion statue guarding a temple. Notice the carved animals on the roof? The number of figures on the rooftop denote the importance of the building.

Lion Statue

This last picture is of the Marble Boat. It’s a two-story structure that’s actually made of wood, but was painted to imitate marble. Trust me, it looks like it – even up close.

Marble Boat

With little free time and so many places to explore, I’m glad I made it to the Summer Palace. It’s a must-see for everyone visiting Beijing.

-Travis

Thank You Translators!

I spent all day Saturday with these two ladies — with Mady the first half of the day at an orchard and with JoJo at night at a teahouse.

Both of them are sweet, patient, and help us a TON!

Lunch with Mady

At the Teahouse with JoJo

Xie Xie Mady and JoJo!

-Aixa

 

Beijing High-Rises

Travis Sherwin/Orlando

Beijing is a city of high-rise buildings. Twenty-plus stories is very common. The elevator companies have got to be making a killing.

Directly across from my hotel are five identical apartment buildings. I’ve walked by them many times. Either no one lives there, or they must be so happy there that they never leave, because I’ve never seen anyone go through the doors.

Apartments

To the left, is this office tower. Again, twenty-plus stories. The building is closed because it is directly across from the Bird’s Nest. There must be hundreds of people enjoying their Olympic vacation.

Office Tower

To the right, another office tower. Again, closed. I wonder if the companies that lease space there get reimbursed for the business they are losing. Likely, not.

Office Building

The Chinese people say it’s their duty to help make these Olympic Games a success. There are many volunteers doing everything from directing traffic to picking up trash.

Volunteers

Here’s a view of the outside of the boxing venue. All the people dressed in blue are volunteers. If you’re ever lost, or can’t find the restroom, the folks in blue are your best friends.

-Travis

Change of Heart

There’s a cute story behind this picture.

Many local families come up to us when we’re out as a reporter/photographer team and ask for our picture. They love including their kids in the photos, which is fine with me because I love kids.

So, this boy’s father first took a picture of him and me with his camera. But when I took out MY camera to capture the moment, the kid threw a fit, started crying, and backed away. His dad tried to force him to get in the picture, but I said it was fine, and they left.

We all get cranky. I totally understand.

Well, like ten minutes later, they somehow found us on the street. I see the dad and kid walking toward me, but this time, the boy had a smile on his face. I don’t know what happened in that ten minute span, but now the kid was in a good mood and ready for the picture. He actually wanted  to take the picture now.

They didn’t speak English but I screamed “You came back!”. He smiled and hugged me.

It was a really sweet moment.

-Aixa

Raining Buckets!

Travis Sherwin/Orlando

 

Today, it rained. Nearly all day. It postponed almost all of the outdoor events.

I’ve learned that you must always carry your umbrella with you in Beijing. It is the rainy season.

Necessary Accessory

Our translator, and my new friend, Mady, says that umbrellas give you freedom. You find out exactly what she means when you’re caught in a downpour without one!

The man below must be a Beijing native. These people have raincoats that they seem to pull them out of nowhere.

Beijing Native

One thing I’ve noticed, the drainage here is very, very poor. The streets are in great shape, but when it rains there are 3, 4 even 6 inch deep, puddles everywhere.

Drainage is an issue

The rain isn’t all bad – it clears the skies for the next day. So tomorrow, I’m breaking out the sunglasses!

-Travis

Interesting Transportation – Part 2

Travis Sherwin/Orlando

I continue to be amazed by the different types of transportation in Beijing.

This is a typical modern rickshaw. You see a lot of these on the streets.

Modern Rickshaw

If you want to get where you’re going sooner, pick the rickshaw below. It’s motorized!

Another Rickshaw

I found this truck in an Olympic area. I think it’s a sanitation truck. I doubt you’d see one of these driving through the Beijing ‘hood.’

Sanitiation Truck?

Then, there’s this guy. I don’t know what he’s hauling, but I’ll bet it’s everything he owns.

Very Overloaded!

And, if you really want to cruise around the capital of China in style, you’ll pick up one of these:

Ferrari Dealership

It could be yours for a few million yuan. I haven’t seen anything remotely this exotic driving around, but someone must own one. This dealership is right around the corner from my hotel.

-Travis