Belltower

We went to visit the Belltower today. And the Drumtower. And a hutong. And a lot of shops !

Kaho wanted to do some shopping today. She was really looking forward to it, as she told me while we walked to the subwaystation at 10 o'clock. I had a shower just before we left, and my hair was drying in the sun. It was not cold at all and I didn't need my gloves or scarf.

We met up with Beth and Monica at 11 o'clock at another subwaystation. We walked around a famous and beautiful shopping street. All old buildings and lovely giftshops/souvenirshops. We had meat on a stick (On a stick!) and some yoghurt. I already bought a few souvenirs for some family and friends. I also have a good idea about what to buy for the rest of them. Beth bought a stuff animal: a dragon. I kept it in my bagpack for her, which was really funny because now I could use a phrase I always wanted to use: "There is a dragon in the way".
After we walked through this street we went on to see the Belltower and Drumtower. We could climb both of them for only 15 yuan, and so we did. The steps were really steep and when we got up we noticed that the wind was blowing really hard. Our hair was getting tangled and we couldn't see much because it was in our face all the time. Nonetheless, the view from the towers was really great. The Belltower has a 7m big bell in the middle and a nice view of the Drumtower. From the Drumtower you can see the lake and HeiBaipark and the top of the royal park as well. There were a lot of drums inside the Drumtower (yes, of course) which they give a little performance on every hour or so. This was the coolest thing of the day I guess.
After this we continued our walk that was in my tourguide, but we did it in opposite direction. We went to a beautiful, and not touristic hutong. Past the walls of a landhouse of a prince, which was closed.. and walked on to other things that were already closed and in to another shopping street again. There we had dinner and after that we went home. Because tomorrow we are going to visit the great wall, and for this we need to get up at 5!! So I am going to turn in very soon.

On our way home we bought some fruit at the fruitstall I showed you Thursday. They actually don't really speak English there, but we managed. It is always funny thought, because I am always together with Kaho. She is from Japan, but a lot of people (read: everyone so far) mistake her for a Chinese person. So they try to talk to me in English, or talk really slow and easy Chinese, and then they tell a whole story to Kaho, who doesn't understand a word they are saying. It is always so funny. Another thing that is always so much fun is that a lot of people ask me the same weird question when they learn I am from the Netherlands. They always ask me if we speak English or Dutch?

When we got home we showed teacher Lee everything that we bought today. She thought everything was really cute. After this she got her computer. She tried to ask me something yesterday, but I didn't understand. So today she used Google Translate to ask me again. She asked me if the Port of Rotterdam is Dutch, because she wasn't sure. I thought it was really cool that she knew the Port of Rotterdam! She told me that they learn this in school.. I was amazed. I knew that the Port of Rotterdam was quite famous. In Europe, not all the way to China!


Reminder to self & Beth: She is coming to my wedding and will bring a pumpkin pie ;) First one because she hates me for having such a wonderful boyfriend and talking about him, second one because I never had that before and FedEx is just not a really good idea.