Last Day Touring Beijing

We had another delightful breakfast. I learned I like muesli and *love* Chinese donuts covered in white sugar and a touch of cinnamon.

Then we left for the Temple of Heaven. This was where the Emperor went twice a year to offer sacrifices to the god of Heaven, the only entity he was ok with being above him in authority.  They sacrificed calves to the dead emperors and the god of Heaven. There was a big complex, complete with a changing room for the emperor so he could put on his more humble (not gold) outfit before the sacrifices.  It was very crowded there. My favorite part was the public area of the park where retired people were doing all sorts of activities: tai chi, step dancing to music, sing-a-longs, Chinese chess, knitting, card games, and hacky sack. There weren't many children; the retired people come every day to be active and with others. There was even a few guys on a set of high bars swinging themselves around, but not doing any flips.

This place was pretty crowded, but I did get a good idea of the culture that created the sacrifice system.

Then we went to an indoor flea market and Jasper made me haggle for a few little things. It was not a thrill. I do not like haggling.  

Next we went to a much anticipated lunch. Jasper has been on a quest for a dish he had when he lived in Jilin. It turns out David, our guide, is from northeast China and knows all about the foods Jasper reminisces about.  So he was able to find us a northeast restaurant right in Beijing and order us guo ba roe, thinly sliced pork in a batter, fried, and laid in a vinegary sweet and sour sauce.  It really was amazing.  I've heard about this mythic dish for years, so I was glad to try it finally. We ate it all, and much of the other dishes David ordered. He always orders multiple dishes. They are all placed on a rotating lazy Susan, and we share them. This was the most authentic place--no tourists, just locals. 

Next we went to Tienanmen Square (avoiding Mao's corpse), where it started to rain. We walked through the square and into the Forbidden City.  It is nearly a kilometer long and some 700 meters wide with over 800 rooms, all surrounded by a moat and walls. I have to watch *The Last Emperor* again. The interiors are all closed off, so at best you can push through a crowd to peer into a room with a throne. The exteriors of the buildings are impressive and colorful, though. This was the most crowded place of all.

Tomorrow we leave here at 8:30 to go see Ruby's foster center for a brief visit on the way to the airport. I prepared the gifts for the nannies there, as well as a list of questions we want to ask. We're hoping to take lots of pictures and maybe some videos for Ruby to remember it by.We fly to Inner Mongolia at noon.

Side note: I'm really enjoying the Olympic coverage in China. We watch it on a few different channels, but the CCTV one does a great job showing long pieces of different sports. I've had a chance to see synchronized swimming and some kung fu.  They don't just focus on Chinese athletes, though they show them a lot too.  I think they do a better job than NBC; they show you more and it does not feel so truncated. Also, we love the blooper reels they put on every morning. Synchronized swimming is my new favorite sport!