Long day but good times

It was about two weeks ago when I had the chance to set out and truly explore some of the settings in Beijing. On a bright and sunny Saturday morning I set out with the company of two good friends to discover the experience that is Beijing. A quick two mile jot to the subway and a good 30 minute ride delivered us to downtown Beijing. Now buried deep inside of Beijing we set out to discover the world around us.

Our first stop was Xidan, which we were told was a great shopping center. Don’t get me wrong it is a beautiful place to shop…if you have access to considerable capital. The only good find in the Xidan area was a music shop that both Lawrence and I decided to try. Our purchases of local Chinese rock turn out to be a fortunate thing. We greatly enjoyed the time in the shop but we knew that we needed substance.

Crossing the street we arrived at a large super center of stores. In through the door and up through the maze of escalator took us to the top floor and lunch. Buried deep inside of this large complex of shops and vendors was a figurative pot of gold. Never in my life before has mall food tasted so good or look so interesting. In a somewhat cafeteria sort of way you navigate a maze of tables and small vendors searching for whatever smell attracts you.

It took a few minutes but we (Alex, Lawrence and I) were successful in finding a pleasing combination of food, seating, and comfort. We ended up settling on some dumplings (states-side: pot stickers), stuffed buns, tea, and Alex opted for some soup. To be absolutely honest the food was some of the best I’ve had here in China. I would compare our meal to comfort food state-side. It was steaming hot, greasy, juice, and onion and chive filled confections of bliss. The reader need not worry about our health for we made sure to purchase a few of the hot buns for later incase we started to waste away.

Done with our amazing gift we boarded the subway and headed northeast. Arriving at our destination I was planning on making a pick-up. A bag that I had left state side was waiting for me in at the Hilton hotel. I was an absolute pleasure to go inside of building and be surrounded by familiar and comforting sights, sounds, and smells. With my backpack in hand we once again board the subway and headed south.

Our next destination was the Beijing silk market. The silk market is a collection of vendors that can offer you any possible good or product imaginable. If you are ever in Beijing it is an absolute must to experience the silk market. Deep within its folds we navigated the vendors and shops seeking a vast range of items and most importantly the experience itself. With our loads heavy and our bodies tired we exited the silk market and headed for home. A forty-five minute cab ride (should have been only 20 minutes) that took us through Beijing rush hour added another flavor to our expedition. Having spent nearly eight hours out exploring and walking we retired for a respite.

Have no fear though…around 8:30pm Lawrence and I decided that hunger was going to drive us back out into the night’s frosty grip. With firm resolve and much good humor we headed for a hot-pot restaurant. Once inside the restaurant we had to order…thankfully my Chinese and the pictures help a great deal in this part of the night. The food was incredibly spicy and the staff got much enjoyment out of our lack of language skills. We ended up eating lotus roots, cabbage, beef, asparagus, and bean sprouts in a fire hot (spicy) boiling confection. After nearly two hours of good food and tea Lawrence and I returned to our dorm and the comforts of our beds.

The next morning greeted me with sore feet (I decided to break-in new shoes the day before) and fond memories. While that day past in a blur…I treasure it as dearly and any other.