My Last New City

That's right! Can you believe it? My months of adventure are coming to a close. I'm in Beijing and this will be the last place in which I lay my head before I return to the United States of America.

Arrived Thursday, May 21st to this city of monumental attractions. Thus far, I've walked myself to exhaustion trying to see all the secrets of the Forbidden City, the charms of the Summer Palace, the turrets of the Great Wall, and the altars of the Temple of Heaven. I know no other modern city like Beijing. These 1000 year old historic icons are all easily reached by bus or subway. My $3 a night hostel is located in a hutong a ten minute walk from both Tiananmen Square and a glistening shopping center.

So many things converge here/clash here it's almost comical. On my way to the bus stop, I pass a sex shop rather overtly displaying it's products and yet I can't update my blog at an internet cafe - as of mid-May you must be registered with the police to post your opinion online. In the hutong, mothers carry babies with the crotches cut out of their pants past street carts and one-story, gray tile houses on roads too narr ow for cars. When they reach the multilane street of Meishi, they can board a brand new city bus equipped with televisions and handicap capacities that announces stops in both Chinese and English.

Today is Thursday - my last full day. Plane leaves tomorrow afternoon and will land in the US of A the evening of Friday, May 29th. My bag's packed, my money's spent, and I'm ready. I'm ready to come home.