Sadly Disappearing
Hutong is a Mongolian word meaning little street. Hutongs, old residential neighborhoods, contain acres of low, flat-roofed buildings that are crisscrossed by narrow lanes. They are also known as courtyard house. As a family grew a room would be added reducing the courtyard area. Houses face east to west to catch the breezes. These ancient neighborhoods are endangered as they are being torn down and replaced with high rise apartments. However, twenty hutongs have been designated as historical sites and will be preserved. I’m glad I was able to visit Beijing, China before the 700-year old neighborhoods are gone.
The streets are laid out in a symmetrical pattern from the center of the neighborhood. The doors are square compared to the drum doors in the Forbidden City. High thresholds keep out dragons and the higher the threshold the higher the rank of the person living in the house.
The wonderful aromas of food cooking stimulated our gastric juices just as we entered the home of one of the residents. The pretty courtyard was a surprise and impressive. The residence we visited was 100 years old, had nine rooms, a western toilet and had been in the family for four generations. After a dumpling-making demonstration we had a chance to try our hand at that craft. We enjoyed a great meal while talking with our hosts.
After lunch we walked a short distance to visit a 90-year-old woman who had her feet bound at age five. The 1000-year-old custom of foot binding was outlawed in 1911, but was practiced in rural areas for some time afterward. Foot binding first started with concubines in the imperial court and spread to the city, then to rural areas. Tiny feet showed high class, and the thinking was that wealthy women would have servants to address their needs. Bound feet limited a woman’s mobility, therefore, keeping her under male control. Unable to walk long distances a woman was unlikely to get into trouble. The procedure of curling the toes under so they eventually grew into the foot was painful. The lady was charming and with some translating it was fun to talk to her.
The narrow streets cannot accommodate anything larger than bicycle trishaws which are run exclusively by hutong residents. The drivers rotate like taxi cabs do at airports.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
A STRANGE DISMISSAL
THANK YOU, BYE!
In Switzerland we all took a book along for the nearly all-day ride on the Glacier Express from Davos to Interlaken. However, the scenery was so spectacular on the world’s slowest express that none of us ever opened our book! The full trainride runs from St. Moritz to Zermatt, Switzerland.
It was an extraordinary engineering feat to build this railroad with its 91 tunnels and 291 bridges. It was a little scary to look out the window at an approaching curve and see nothing but a bridge suspended over a gorge. After awhile it became a familiar sight. As we climbed up to the pass at 6668-feet the train went so slow that I thought it might stop. Oh, no, I don’t want to roll down backwards!
The train tracks switchback between alpine valleys and mountain passes. The scenery is fantabulous and it’s got to be the most scenic train ride in the world! Oohs and ashs peppered our conversation.
At noontime the steward came to our car to inform us that it was our time for dinner in the dining car. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch complete with wine and dessert served on linen covered tables and with real silverware and linen napkins. We continued to enjoy the scenery as we dined.
Engrossed in our good time it took us a minute or two to understand our waiter as he stood at the end of the table repeating, “Thank you, bye. Thank you, bye. Thank you, bye.”
Eventually we realized our dining hour had come to an end. With a smile and a thank you to the waiter, we got up and left the dining car.
In Switzerland we all took a book along for the nearly all-day ride on the Glacier Express from Davos to Interlaken. However, the scenery was so spectacular on the world’s slowest express that none of us ever opened our book! The full trainride runs from St. Moritz to Zermatt, Switzerland.
It was an extraordinary engineering feat to build this railroad with its 91 tunnels and 291 bridges. It was a little scary to look out the window at an approaching curve and see nothing but a bridge suspended over a gorge. After awhile it became a familiar sight. As we climbed up to the pass at 6668-feet the train went so slow that I thought it might stop. Oh, no, I don’t want to roll down backwards!
The train tracks switchback between alpine valleys and mountain passes. The scenery is fantabulous and it’s got to be the most scenic train ride in the world! Oohs and ashs peppered our conversation.
At noontime the steward came to our car to inform us that it was our time for dinner in the dining car. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch complete with wine and dessert served on linen covered tables and with real silverware and linen napkins. We continued to enjoy the scenery as we dined.
Engrossed in our good time it took us a minute or two to understand our waiter as he stood at the end of the table repeating, “Thank you, bye. Thank you, bye. Thank you, bye.”
Eventually we realized our dining hour had come to an end. With a smile and a thank you to the waiter, we got up and left the dining car.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
TRAINS, SUBWAYS AND SUCH
Modes of Transportation
Traveling around the world has involved many different types of conveyances including subways, metros, undergrounds—whatever they are called where ever one is. When in Paris we hopped on the metro to go to Versailles. As we approached the transfer station to catch the train that would take us to our destination we made our way to the exit door and as the train stopped we waited for the door to open. It did not. Just as I was thinking about how slow the door was, a young man in the seat nearest to the door reached over and pushed down the lever or door handle.
Surprised we turned simultaneously saying thank you. Standing on the platform as the train pulled out we looked at each other and I asked, “Do you feel as stupid as I do?”
“You betcha!”
We were fast learners and had no further problems in France with the train or metro doors!
What's a Rotair?
In Switzerland, after getting tickets at the Titlis rail station we boarded gondolas. Half way up the mountain we transferred from the small gondolas to a large standup gondola for the ride to the next platform. Finally we transferred into the Rotair, the world’s only rotating gondola. Also a large standup gondola the floor rotates 360 degrees in minutes. It was pretty impressive and when we came out of the clouds the gondola was filled with a chorus of oohs and aahs. The magnificent views were awesome!
At the top of this glacier people were playing in the snow, and of course we joined them and was surprised to find it was not as cold as one would think.
Many more transportation stories later.
Traveling around the world has involved many different types of conveyances including subways, metros, undergrounds—whatever they are called where ever one is. When in Paris we hopped on the metro to go to Versailles. As we approached the transfer station to catch the train that would take us to our destination we made our way to the exit door and as the train stopped we waited for the door to open. It did not. Just as I was thinking about how slow the door was, a young man in the seat nearest to the door reached over and pushed down the lever or door handle.
Surprised we turned simultaneously saying thank you. Standing on the platform as the train pulled out we looked at each other and I asked, “Do you feel as stupid as I do?”
“You betcha!”
We were fast learners and had no further problems in France with the train or metro doors!
What's a Rotair?
In Switzerland, after getting tickets at the Titlis rail station we boarded gondolas. Half way up the mountain we transferred from the small gondolas to a large standup gondola for the ride to the next platform. Finally we transferred into the Rotair, the world’s only rotating gondola. Also a large standup gondola the floor rotates 360 degrees in minutes. It was pretty impressive and when we came out of the clouds the gondola was filled with a chorus of oohs and aahs. The magnificent views were awesome!
At the top of this glacier people were playing in the snow, and of course we joined them and was surprised to find it was not as cold as one would think.
Many more transportation stories later.
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