Exploring Beijing and Eating its Duck

After a small "deposit" was made upon arrival at the Chongwenmen Hotel, Yenji stopped puking and we both ventured out into the streets of Beijing.

The first thing we noticed was that you can't go a few seconds without hearing or seeing someone hork and spit. Not good for someone with a weak stomach getting over a puking spell. Second thing we noticed was how people ignored traffic signals. Red light? Just barrel through if you think you can get away with it. Apparently, stopping for pedestrians is for suckers, even if we are crossing at a crosswalk with a pedestrian signal and the cars have a red light. In preparation for the 2008 Olympic games, Beijing is trying to enforce the rules of the road and have started employing crossing guards at some major intersections to remind people to stop at a red light (to which they get cursed out by irate drivers).

The most interesting thing we saw were the traditional hutongs (laneways). In the midst of these modern buildings, you can find a hutong where locals have lived and sold their goods for hundreds of years. Some people were selling noodles, some were making dumplings. It was like stepping back in time... if it weren't for the constant honking of horns and construction in the background. We walked past a lot of construction. It was bittersweet to see that progress has to be made at the expense of tearing down many of these hutongs.

In the evening, we were fortunate enough to meet up with Yen's cousin Pheng and her roommate. We had to pick up some food and snacks for our day trip to the Great Wall the next day, so they helped us figure stuff out at the grocery store. Thank goodness they were there! Who knew that bread can only be paid for in the bread section, and that fruit had to be bagged and weighed at the fruit section by the staff before bringing it to the checkout?

After dropping off the groceries at the hotel, we hopped on a taxi and went to a restaurant famed for its Beijing duck. Pheng ordered some fantabulous food -- sticky rice stuffed lotus root, braised chestnuts and Chinese cabbage in some delicious sauce, stir-fried pea shoots, sweet and sour pork in a taro root basket, duck hearts with lotus leaves, and last but certainly not least, Beijing duck with pancakes. Unfortunately, the duck took an hour to make and we didn't have it until last when we were already quite full. However, it was worth the wait. The duck in Beijing looks and tastes very different from what we get back home. Here, you dip the crispy skin in sugar first before consuming, and the texture is such that it almost melts in your mouth. In addition to a hoisin-like sauce, cucumber, and spring onions, they also supply other sides like radish and garlic paste. It's very good, but man it is so rich -- Yen only had one (stomach was in recovery mode), and even the high-performer Eric only had six... the Zippers know that this is shameful in comparison to what he has been known to consume.

It was great to laugh and chat with Pheng and her roommate, but we were finally kicked out the restaurant, and Pheng had to go home and study for her exam the next day while we had to pack for our trip to the Great Wall of China!