We booked a trip with the Beijing Hikers Club and made it to the meeting point by 8am. Chase had to use the bathroom at the last moment and so we were late getting on the bus and there were no more seats available. So we were given spots in a private car and enjoyed the space and pleasure of looking at trees, roadside villages, and taking a nap to catch up on sleep.
We got to the village and I don't remember the name but it was far out of Beijing city limits and we started our hike right away. We stopped at an old couple's home and here's the old man fixing his corn huller (husker? I'm not sure).
Inside the home, the walls were pitch black because of the coal they burn to keep themselves warm. It was startling to me that people still live in conditions where they are inhaling carcinogens while they sleep. But they don't have another choice. Or maybe they still don't know the implications of it all. Very sad.
A sweet donkey was on their property and I had a great time petting him. Part of the reason to get out of the city was to see wildlife, insects, and flora of China. But I forgot that it's still the dead of winter. Apart from a few buds and leaves of grass that are starting to poke through, everything's dead. I think I saw one insect- a red tick. There was so many dead twigs, sticks, and grass. Infact, about half of our hike was through fallen snow that had yet to melt.
Here we are at the top of the first mountain we climbed. We climbed down this one and then up another one and down again. I am not sure how many kilometers we went but I was so tired! I realize now how much I have let my health slip these last few months in Beijing. I am so overworked and always making excuses not to work out or do yoga (it's boring just by myself without support and enthusiasm like I had in Austin). But with the wedding less than six months away I am more determined to take time for myself. I am taking modern dance on Wednesdays and going to Chinese class on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Part of what I have also let slip is keeping up with my Chinese (which is one of the main reasons we came to China) and so these classes will help me with that. I love learning the language. It's exciting.
At the end of the trail we came upon a house where chickens were roaming and there pet cat. See I told you I wanted to see the wildlife! The owner had come up and spread the feed on the ground and the cat felt entitled to it all and was clawing at the chickens who dared grab her food. Gotta love the feline species....
Several dogs were tied up on this property and there was one that had obviously given birth as her teats were still full of milk. So immediately my maternal radar went into alert mode and I found these pups. The owner had moved them away stating that they were being weaned from their mother. The mother was heartbroken as she could see her pups and wanted so much to be with them. She was circling, howling, barking, jumping in anxiety knowing her babies were so far away from her. My heart hurts just writing that. It was painful to watch her reaction but I enjoyed petting the pups and hopefully that made them feel loved.
I have also been made aware recently that having a pet and loving one changes hormones in the body. And I feel that being away from Lola these few months. Having a pet certainly makes me feel more wholesome. More connected. More loved. And all those feelings have not been experienced in the recent few months. I know that not bringing her to China was a good decision. But something has to be done about the emptiness I feel without her. Maybe therapy is what I need. But having a dog is therapy. So who knows what I should do....
After the hike they provided snacks, tea, coffee, and beer and we were back on the bus. Almost everyone was asleep, mouths wide open, necks angled to one side or the other. An hour and a half later, we made it back. Chase got some ice cream from Baskin Robbins. We bought groceries and ate at a restaurant called Pure Lotus. It's a vegetarian restaurant owned and run by monks, so I have been told. The decor was beautiful. Each dish tasted excellent. Except that I have decided I do not like lotus flower. I mean, I love lotus root. I could eat that every night cooked differently, but the flower petals, yuck. They taste powdery. But anyways, the food was great besides the lotus flower dish. What Chase and I enjoyed the most was the presentation. So artful! Here are some pictures from our meal.
Here are the interesting serving dishes for the lotus flower dish and for the steamed dumplings.
I'm looking weird in this picture but notice that our second order of dumplings (fried ones this time) were served on (we asked and they said it was geniune) a jade sculpture. Also check out the hearty brown rice in the foreground.
Dessert was a bowl full of mandarin oranges. They served them with dry ice!
So now we are back home. I'm beat. I'm soaking my feet in lavender oil and epsom salts. It will be time for bed in a few minutes and I know I'm going to sleep well tonight.
This is how they wrapped our to go bag. How cute!
No comments:
Post a Comment