China on the Run

Having been in China for over a week now, we are all growing more and more comfortable with the language, the food, and our roles as tourists. We are frequently asked to stop and pose in photos, holding adorable Chinese babies or we are more "slyly" included in family photos. Whether it is the long blondish hair, the freckled skin, the big noses, our presence seems such a novelty that it is impossible for Chinese tourists to pass up the opportunity to capture our foreign faces on their memory cards.

Besides being in photos, I have really enjoyed China so far. Indeed, being able to speak some of the language and read some of the characters aids in my comfort here. Also, I find the history of the country, the old architecture, and the pristine nature that is found outside the busy metropolises to be very pleasing.

In Beijing we stayed in a beautiful, old part of the city, just outside of the Forbidden City, that thoroughly enchanted us all. The houtangs, or old, historic streets, are home to the wealthy, and offer many small, winding avenues, that made exploring a real adventure. Since the Olympics, there has been a huge change in the city. We were surprised to find little pollution and almost no trash cluttering the streets--something that was omnipresent in Mongolia--and lots of lush, green boulevards, upon our arrival. After wandering the parks and visiting the pagodas and temples for a few days, we were shuttled onward to Wutaishan, the "five terraced mountains."

Wutaishan is a hot spot for Buddhist pilgrims and tied in well with our Buddhism course. The town itself (I say town because any place with fewer than about two million inhabitants is considered a "town"), is situated in the "Buddha's palm," while the five peaks run clockwise around it to create the "fingers." We spent most of our first day there visiting temples, simultaneously taking notes and photos at each, and making our way to our cozy, tucked away hotel. Four days was a rather generous amount of time for us to stay in so secluded a place but we made the most of our visit and, between class and temple visits, we were able to do some hiking along the forested mountainsides.

I look forward to the next stint in China and, now that my computer is mysteriously working again, do my best to keep this blog up-to-date. The fast pace of this tour has got all of our heads spinning but I shall do my best to keep mine screwed on tight and take in all I'm able. Until later, zai jian.

photos: the moat and northeast corner of the Forbidden City, Rachel, our English-speaking friend Mac, and me jumping off the steps at the Yungang Grottoes, The Hanging Cliff Temple, and Epiphany walking around one of the many temples visited in Wutaishan.