TripTracker.net - 30 Days in China, Day 1

Day 1 – Myths and Gifts Day 2 – Textiles and Takeaway Day 4 – Tailors and Rain Guomao, China Chengdu, China Lu Gu Lake, China Lijiang City, China

bkall

30 Days in China

Day 1 – Myths and Gifts

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Mar 25 2008, 06:07 PM

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Traveler

bkall
Manchester, United Kingdom

Journal

Location

Tongzhou, China

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Today I arrived in Beijing brought here by Lufthansa on an airplane full of "Lao Wai" outsiders from the Chinese point of view, a sign that the Olympics are coming (this being the last major holiday before it starts). With all the talk of pollution by the media I expected to step out of the airport into a smog of industrial based fumes, however there was a clear blue sky and no visible or olfactory signs of excess pollution just a nice spring day in the city. To my surprise there was little traffic on the roads and most of it well behaved, somewhat different than I remember from last year. As I remembered the taxi’s still have no interest in safety, mine actually had seat belts (most cars have them removed!) but the clasps were covered by the ubiquitous seat covers.

On arrival in Tong Zhou I was greeted with the customary warm welcome from people I had met before and sideways glances from those I had not. This brought back memories from last year, people surprised to see a western man in a suburb of the city, especially of one man who upon seeing me ride a bicycle down the street shouted “I knew westerners could drive cars well, but ride bicycles!” In China most people welcome visitors with food most of the time with oranges individually wrapped in plastic as tokens of hospitality and meals with far more food than I can eat.

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