China Tour May 2019: Thursday, May 30, 2019; Day 4; Rickshaw; Old Beijing; Flight to Xi'an

We arose about 5:00 am this morning. After putting our checked luggage out in the hall for pickup, we went down for breakfast around 6:30 am.

We boarded the bus at 7:30 and headed toward the Forbidden City. The plan today is to visit the older part of Beijing (that around the Forbidden City) before heading to the airport to catch a flight to Xi'an.

Rickshaws

Our Rickshaw #185

Rickshaw Sam

It was about a 15 minute ride to our destination, through narrow streets.

We stopped at the lake side. We will be visiting a residents home who has agreed to talk with us. They are not wealthy, but they are "well off" compared to most.

Fishing for Carp and Catfish

Laura buying a flute from a street vendor

Lions at the door indicate, at one time, this was a house of a military officer


	Rectangles at the door indicate, at one time, this was a house of an adviser to the Emperor


	Drums at the door indicate, at one time, this was another house of a military officer

The street of the home we will visit

Our hostess is a retired civil servant. She is unmarried and lives with her niece and two others in a small home. They have electricity, but no running water or interior plumbing.

Our hostess

While retired, our hostess participates with her niece in her business of making and selling glass bottles that are painted on the inside.

Niece demonstrating her painting techniques

Some of her finished work

Front door to their home

I ended up buying a small perfume bottle.

From there, Rickshaw Sam took us back to where we began our ride and we boarded the bus for the airport. We were each issued a boxed lunch of a ham sandwich.

The domestic flight from Beijing to Xi'an was on China Eastern Airline aboard an Airbus A330. The security at the Beijing airport was extreme. I have not had anyone touch me head-to-foot like that in a LONG time.

While only a 90 minute flight, we were served a nice noodle lunch.