Planes: Heading to China, our stand-by flight from Japan to Beijing was chuck full which kicked the three of us off. . . Needless to say, it was a little stressful as we navigated through the airport late at night without Japanese money, language skills or a way to contact Shannon. We lost a day with Shannon but gained a day in Japan and we made the most of it.
Bikes: We finally arrived in Beijing to the priceless welcoming hugs from Shannon. We hit the tourist spots and Shan served as a great tour guide. Despite almost hitting and being hit by several bikes on our pedestrian journeys we all voted to rent bikes and see the city. Riding a bike in a city of 14 million people with a front wheel coming treacherously close to falling off would put any RAGBRAI-er to shame, but we would highly recommend Beijing via bike!
Trains: After two days of Beijing touring we conquered our greatest feat. . . the train! Don't be fooled the train itself was not scary, however, the 'loading' process was devastating. The three travelers with bags in hand and Shannon were corralled with approximately 1,000 other individuals headed to Tianjin. We were overwhelmed with these thousands of Chinese moving slower than molasses with the departure time quickly ticking away. There were points in the people jam in which we thought the overpass bridge may collapse.
Honda Civic: After a one of a kind meal at a hot pot restaurant (a boiling pot of broth with a variety of added vegetables and meat balls), we ventured to an evening spent singing at KTV (similiar to karoke in the US) with two of Shannon's students and a cute brother. We crammed 7 people into a compact Honda Accord. We aren't quite sure if the random horn honking was to signal 'get out of the way', 'hi...how are you', 'I'm coming', 'watch out', 'I'm here...don't walk in front of me', or just a common reaction from the driver. Needless to say, each taxi or car we took was filled with adventure.
Walking: Some of the best moments were experienced while on foot throughout the city of Tianjin. In conversations with Shannon's beautiful students, we learned what it really means to be Chinese. Their passion for life and love for friends was apparent in every conversation. It was so amazing to see the love of the students who have become Shannon's Chinese family and who she will miss beyond belief upon arrival back in the U.S. We were so blessed to meet each one and to hear their stories.
Each of these forms of transportation lead us to the most amazing dining experiences. From dumplings to rice bowls, we've gotten a good mix of Chinese food. We soon learned eating is not only an American past time but also a very big part of the Chinese culture. We are proud to say we never had to resort to the plastic forks quietly hidden in our hand bags and have officially mastered the art of using chop sticks.
As we hit the road to our last meal in Tianjin...Zai Jian! (one of our 4 conquered Chinese terms).
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