Not so Great trip that was a ton of fun

Again we fly through the countryside at 350km per hour and it was a great trip.  It was a lot more unexpected than we thought it would be.  Firstly, Beijing is a nice city.  Very different than Shanghai, but very familiar at the same time.  It’s older, you could feel some of the ancient spirit in the city.  It’s the capital, so it’s a little bit more formal, but in a hard way to explain if you’ve never been; a lot more military presence, for starters, but it’s not like we don’t have the same in Shanghai, with police or military presence.  It’s just more formal.  The government buildings you always see the guards and staff, but in Beijing, the dress was a bit more crisp, the men standing attention stood at attention.  It’s also less of a Western presence in Beijing, so we got a lot more looks.  

Our first night, once we got checked in, we headed out to try to find food and J had something marked near us and it was a 10 minute walk.  After 4.5 hours on the train, it was nice to walk and stretch our legs, so it was no worries.  The place J found us WAS dope!  Firstly, it’s on the Michelin watch list, so even though it cost us about $20 for dinner, the food was incredible!  Peking duck, Sichuan green beans, and smashed cuncumbers.  When I say we got looks, this is part of what I mean; First, we were the only westerners eating there, but more than that, everyone from the other patrons to the staff, double took us.  The lady who gave us the Sichuan beans gave us a look like, “Y’all ain’t even ready for this.”  As we ate and enjoyed, we got thumbs up from other staff and even outside, someone looking in the window saw it and gave us thumbs up.  He then pointed at Kiddo and mimicked chopsticks and gave another thumbs up.  People were openly staring at us.  You just learn to roll with it, smile and wave back, and use our limited Chinese to say hello and thank you and tastes great and it’s smiles back and a lot of amazement.  One woman stopped and she had some English.  She told us that the beans are too spicy for her and how can we handle it.  We told her we lived in Thailand and currently live in Shanghai and she gaped at us.  “WOW!  So much experiences.  It is more brave than my family.  And eating the good food and local.  You amazing family.”

Day two was a city day.  We walked a bit and saw some of the city near us.  Seeing as we were staying in the city center, we could see a lot not going more than a 15 minute walk.  We found a Starbucks for coffee as the hotel coffee was a C- at best.  D+ is more likely.  Then I had a kink in my neck and there was a spa on site at the hotel, so I went to get my neck worked out and J took Kiddo to a park to run and explore.  I would have loved to see it, but making sure I was physically able for the next day at the Great Wall was a priority.  It was a great massage and did me wonders and the girls got to have girl time and lunch together.  

We got a car later in the day and went to a local hotpot place.  Again, open stares at us.  But, once we started eating, Kiddo especially with her chopsticks and just hotpotting, it turned to smiles and thumbs ups.  We got lamb and beef, so it was a bit of everything and even Kiddo tried the lamb without complaint.  The food was, once again, amazing and props to J for finding it and getting us there.  We got back and it was late, so we hit the beer garden and J and I had a pint while Kiddo ran around and Kiddo’d.  Then, we got a pint to take up to the room and everyone showered and we got bed ready, the next day was going to be a 5:45am alarm.  

Waking the next day, we woke to rain.  Not just rain, thunder and lightening.  Not great weather to be on the Great Wall.  J got a call that the Wall was closed that day to visitors and we could reschedule or cancel.  We canceled and instead game planned.  We got an early breakfast and then went back to the room.  By 0900 the rain was supposed to stop in the city, so we ended up going back to bed.  Waking at 9, the thunder and lightening had let up, but the tour still wasn’t on as the storm had moved in the direction of the Wall and lightening was predicted until 13:00.  Instead, we decided to try the zoo.  

Now, we’ve seen zoos.  J and I both have Milwaukee in our pockets.  Racine as well.  San Diego is (probably) the best zoo we’ve ever been to and J and I had a membership there for years.  Bangkok was ok.  Shanghai, both the zoo and wild animal park are really well done.  Traveling last year, we spent a day in Saigon at the zoo and that was lovely and really well done.  Beijing, however, was something.  The zoo itself is fine.  Nothing special.  Well done.  A bit scattered in how the animals go, but nothing that made it a bad thing.  The panda exhibit, however…. WOW!  Just WOW!  Nothing else can be said.  Dozen of pandas.  Wild and open exhibits.  Indoor exhibits that were well done and spacious, for both visitors and then animals.  It was, hands down, the best panda exhibit we’ve ever seen and we’ve seen the pandas in SD, Shanghai, and now Beijing.  The polar bears in Beijing as well, about as well done as SD.  

The zoo was fun and a nice outing.  It was kind of sprinkling off and on while we were there, so there was no crowd.  Made it very easy to see the animals and enjoy without having to fight crowds.  Mostly, it was locals at the zoo.  It made it fun.  We were as much of an exhibit as the animals, as the locals, especially younger kids, were looking at us like, “What the HELL is that and where did it come from.”  With J being on the tall side and with her leg tattoo, with Kiddo and her “golden hair” and just the us of us, a lot of people we dumbfounded by us.  We spent the day at the zoo and then came home to chill for a bit before going back to try more of the menu of the place we ate at the first night.  Yeah, I told ya the food was that good.  Another pint in the beer garden and the rains had passed, so Kiddo again ran about and did her thing.  

We missed the Great Wall, but got to see a bit more.  Turned out fun and interesting anyways.  Now that we know it and how easy it is, we have bookmarked April for a long weekend, since it’s less rainy in Beijing in April than in Shanghai, so we can try again and why not.  The high speed is easy, we know how to move about China and do all that, and if we just take another family getaway, why not?  We all had a blast and I’m not saying the J should get a job in Beijing, but if she did, we would all be happy enough for two years there. China with a different feel and a different cultural experience, while still being familiar.  Could work for us.  We’ll know more in a few months as J applies and all that, but for now; we came, we saw, we enjoyed.

Let’s go, Kiddo… We’re sorry that the Great Wall trip was canceled, but we’re glad we could shuck in another direction and still make a great time of it.  We’re glad you “loved the food” and that you had a great time just exploring with us.  It’s always a blast experiencing cool stuff with you and we can’t wait for the next adventure.  

PS.  Gotta love the Raccoon Dog signage.  Always cracks us up.