Back To Bejing

Over a decade ago, The Wife and I had taken an overnight train in China.  The cabins were dirty and uncomfortable, and the train rattled so much on the rails that it was impossible to sleep.  Since that time, China has built a network of high speed bullet trains connecting major cities.  We were anxious to see whether taking one from Shanghai to Beijing would be a better experience.

We woke up early to catch our 9 AM train to Beijing.   The train station is located next to the old international airport that we had flown through a few years earlier.

Unlike the crappy outdoor train stations of India, the Shanghai station resembles an airport terminal.

There are many Westernized shops from
Disney, Crocs, Starbucks, and McDonalds.

The cost to ride in first class for the bullet train to Beijing was about $150 per adult ($75 per child).  There is no designated storage for large suitcases so we placed our big bags in the back of the car.  There was plenty of room in the overhead compartments for our carry-ons and backpacks.  The train was punctual, leaving exactly at the scheduled departure time.

Unlike an airplane, passengers have to lug ALL of their luggage onto the train.

As evinced by the multiple tracks, several high-speed trains make the Shanghai-Beijing route daily.

A crew of janitors ensures that the train station remains clean.

The bullet train was a little slower than the 

Maglev, reaching top speeds of 188 miles/hr.

The kids passed the time watching Phineas and Ferb episodes on the iPad.

Orange juice and free snacks (sunflower seeds, dried peas, beef and 
pork jerky, biscuit cookies, and a prune) were given to each passenger.

Although servers came through the aisles selling packaged lunches, The Wife and I were fast asleep.  We ended up having to walk through 8 passenger cars to get to the dining one to purchase lunch.  Given that it is merely train food, the meals which cost us 75 RMB were actually pretty good.

Braised beef, corn, stir fried green vegetables, and rice

An instant spinach and egg drop soup

The beef noodle soup was mildly spicy.

So what are the advantages of the bullet train over flying.  It is slightly cheaper and probably safer.  The ride is much quieter and smoother to the point that my noise-cancelling headphones weren't needed.  And it is much more comfortable.  We had so much more leg room and the chairs tilted way back.  In the business classes, the chairs reclined completely flat.  The journey itself took about 4.5 hours with one brief stop in Nanjing.  While that is two hours longer than flying, there is some time made up afterwards by not having to wait for luggage in the carousels.

At the Beijing South train station, we were picked up by The Architect, the boyfriend of The Father-In-Law’s PhD student.  He and his coworker, who would be driving us, worked for a construction firm in Beijing.  They drove us to our hotel, the Marriott Executive Apartments-Imperial Mansion located just one block off of the very popular Wangfujing Street.

The hotel lobby was spacious.

We often saw business people meeting informally in the lobby.

The hotel is a steal.  For about $183 per night, we got a suite with several couches, two bathrooms including a large Jacuzzi, and a kitchenette (sans any pots and pans).  The best part is that it had a washer/dryer combo.  When we planned for our trip, knowing that we could do our laundry when we got to Beijing allowed us to pack substantially less clothes.

Living room

Study

Bedroom

Kitchenette

Main bathroom

After settling in, The Architect and his friend drove us around to Houhai Lake.  It is also known as the “back lake” because it is situated behind the Forbidden City.  The area has become a popular recreational spot for locals and tourists alike.  Despite it being midday on a Monday when many of the attractions are closed, the place was crowded with people.

We parked the car in an underground lot that was converted from an old bomb shelter.

These pedicabs are restricted
to high-volume tourist areas.

There are many types of boats on Houhai.  However, the
lake is not big enough for any motorized watersports.

Several vendors were selling snacks and drinks along the banks of the lake.  The Wife excitedly bought some candy that she fancied in her youth.  It was a sour plum drenched in sugary sauce.  There was also people selling freshly-squeezed fruit juices.  Other stands were selling yogurt-milk drink that is very popular in the Beijing area.

The kids took a few bites of the candy, frowned, and threw it away.

The famous Peking duck restaurant, Quanjude, has a branch here.

It was a waste that they used sour oranges for the freshly-squeezed OJ.

Conversely, the small hint of sourness
makes this yogurt-milk taste so good.

The lake is fairly clean--enough for several people to fish and swim in despite the signs.

While there were several people fishing, I never saw anybody actually getting a bite.

Perhaps the older men swimming in
the lake were scaring away all the fish.

At least we saw nobody climbing.

If swan boats don't float your boat, then you can catch a ride on one of these old-school skiffs.

Several generations of families have resided along the banks of the lake for centuries.  Now they have converted their traditional houses for commercial use.  During the daytime, they would live in them as usual.  But after dark, these families would turn their house into bars or restaurants as the lake area has become a popular night spot.  There were restaurants of all different grades, some with brick oven pizzas, some with white table cloths and linens, and some with basic street food.

Who cares what you are eating as long as it is fried?

As the sun was coming down, workers moved the couches outdoors to create a hookah lounge.

This place has got to be high
end if a tie is necessary.

You can't have a popular tourist attraction in China without a Starbucks.

Some people take their kite flying seriously.
They would spend hours doing it daily.

A group of older men sang old Chinese songs accompanied by traditional instruments. 

Behind the lake was a small pedestrian street with many craft and souvenir shops.

This statue was outside an old post office
that was open free to the public.

I can't understand the writing on the signs, but I definitely don't want to go down that alley.

At the end of the pedestrian street is the Drum tower that was built in 1272.  
It is now a converted museum, but unfortunately, it was closed this day.

After we were done seeing Houhai Lake, we got back in the car to search for dinner.  Mongolian hotpot is a staple of Beijing food.  The Wife and I were a bit worried how well the kids would be able to eat it.  Each time we have had it before, the broths have been unbearably hot and spicy--just how we like it.  Most restaurants offer a mild version, but there is no fun in that.

After much research on the internet, I narrowed the choices down to Ju Bao Yuan, a traditional one in the Muslim quarters, or Ding Ding Xiang, a more avant-garde variety that provided diners with their own individual hotpot.  The Architect and his friend, a native of Beijing, had never heard of either one.  They were able to track down the location to Ding Ding Xiang Hot Pot, which is not supposed to be far from our hotel.  Unfortunately, I didn't account for the horrible, horrible Beijing traffic especially at that time of day.  If I had known that it would take an hour to get there, I would have settled for any other restaurant nearby.
  

All that driving has built up The Architect's appetite.

Our waiter prepares the
fires to heat the hot pots.

The adults got the spicier Thai-inspired broth,
whereas the kids had the mushroom broth.

There are multiple varieties of dipping
sauces to match each person's taste.

Once our individual broths got to a simmer, our waiter brought over the different meats and vegetables that we had ordered.  With most cuts of meat so thinly sliced, it usually took less than a minute for them to be done.

Thinly sliced beef rib eye

Assorted lamb cuts

Beef bone marrow

Fish, cuttlefish, and shrimp balls

Pressed tofu (to be eaten separately from the hot pot)

Tofu that has been previously frozen to better soak in the broth

We also had various mushrooms, vegetables, and curried lamb meatballs (for the kids).  The kids really enjoyed the hotpot dinner.  Thankfully, there were no complaints about anything being too spicy for them.  The final tally came out to ~ 800 RMB for 4 adults and 2 children.  

Since we were already in the neighborhood, we stopped by the Bird’s Nest stadium and the Water Cube, sites of the 2008 Summer Olympics.  The Architect was proud that his firm had built the Water Cube.  Surprisingly, the park was fairly crowded with locals just milling about.  In China, most married people live with their parents and sometimes even extended family members in crowded high-rise buildings.  After a long day of work cooped up in an office, most people don't want to be confined in their small apartments.  So many people come to parks, such as this one, after work just to enjoy the vast open spaces.

The colors of the Water Cube would change every few minutes.

Fortunately, this Bird's Nest stadium is not made from the saliva of swallows.

After the sightseeing  stop, we all hopped back in the car for the long drive through the city back to our hotel.  Too bad those high speed trains don't run within Beijing.