We have been up since 5 am and our bags are packed, so I decided to blog as we wait for the clock to tick-tock us closer to Nadia.
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o The Chinese move FAST. Walking, working, you name it, they move with quick efficency.
o The Chinese get on and off planes faster than anything you have ever seen.
o Turn signals mean nothing in China.
o I have no idea how pedestrians and bicylists don’t get run over all the time.
o Our guide told us this information would save our life, “If you have to cross a street, get behind a Chinese person. When they move you move, when they stop you stop.” He’s not joking.
o No matter how swank your hotel looks, DON’T drink the tap water. And keep your eyes and mouth shut in the shower.
o For waiting families behind us, I am going to do separate posts on the hotels we stayed at and my thoughts on each.
o Spending Yuan (Chinese money) is like monopoly money, it doesn’t seem real.
o A crying American woman can be quite an entertaining sight for the normally reserved Chinese people.
o I had the van ride of my life yesterday, when I had to leave our tour early. Let’s just say the hour long ride back to the hotel did not take nearly an hour. If you’ve seen the arcade game Crazy Cab, that’s what I got to experience in real life. Then the total charge was like $15 US. Plus I gave the guy a big tip and it still didn’t cost what a short ride would cost in America.
o Be prepared to get PUSHED in China. Going to the restroom in the Forbidden City yesterday was an adventure in itself. There were a couple of western toilets, but the “fight” to get to them was overwhelming. The people in China aren’t rude, it’s just a different culture. So I started pushing back and got to the restroom.
o You just can’t believe the amount of skyscraper apartments in Beijing. As far as your eye can see more cranes are up putting up more buildings. And the apartments aren’t cheap. $300 US per square foot and people here have to get loans from the bank for a 30 year note for an apartment. Our guide says that a new word has been created in Beijing “apartment slaves” because people work their whole life to pay these apartments off.
o There are so beautiful gardens and parks that we passed by and they even have the expressway entrances and exits done up beautifully. I am not sure if it’s always that way or if it’s for the Olympics.