Behei Park

Our morning at Behei (Bay-high) Park was enchanting. Chien said it was one of the best days of his life. Pak wants to go back again tomorrow. 

Behei Park seems to me to be a perfect symbol of Beijing. Like its lithe tai chi practitioners, the park -- and the city itself -- is ancient, but not decrepit, surprisingly vibrant for its age. Built nearly 1,000 years ago as the emperor's private playground, Behei Park lies less than a mile from the walls of the Forbidden City; not nearly as formal and imposing, the park was until 1925 just as forbidden.

Today, the park seems to be the social center of Beijing, the real China as I had always imagined it. After breakfast, we took a taxi ride from our hotel. The traffic was awful; less than a mile from the park, we got stuck behind a tour bus in a left-hand turn lane. The light turned green and then red again six or seven times before we got through. We probably could have gotten there faster by foot, but I was glad we had saved our energy.

Upon arrival, we paid our 10 yuan (about $1.25) admission fees and joined hundreds of Beijingers in our enjoyment of the park's architectural, artistic and natural scenery. We watched couples dance, old men practice calligraphy using long brushes dipped in water, choirs rehearse and a harmonica band perform. We strolled the tree-lined brick and cobblestone paths, took pictures of each other, and talked about how much we love China, its people, its language and its food. We rented a paddleboat, sipped tea and ate pumpkin seeds. In short, we had a fantastic time. The pictures I've posted will give you an idea of the park's atmosphere, but you'll really have to come see it for yourself some day.

We returned to the hotel at about noon, rested, did a little homework and headed out for some lunch. We found a restaurant that described itself as "Chinese Muslim Cuisine." I asked to see the menu, couldn't understand much of it, but decided to give it a try anyway. We got the 'special hot pot,' a ring-shaped copper pan with a charcoal fire in the center, which kept the vegetable broth at a rolling boil. We ordered plates of mixed vegetables and sliced meat to cook in the broth, dip in a small bowl of sesame paste and eat. The veggies were great. The mutton was good. The sheep brains? Meh. Not my thing. We all ate a bite or two to say we've done it, and reached a consensus -- "edible, but pretty gross."

After stuffing ourselves with what ended up being a fun, but rather ooky meal, we walked around the shopping district until it became clear that we were on the verge of overextending ourselves energy-wise. We've been back at the hotel for a couple of hours. Chien's relaxing with his GameBoy, Pak and Kori are sleeping, and I'm blogging in between short sprints to the restroom. Seems I'm fighting a slight case of Chairman Mao's revenge.

My intestines aside, we're all having a grand time. Hopefully I'll be able to get this posted; the internet access is spotty. I'll write more later when my insides stop fighting so hard to get outside. Peace and love.