What's a trip to Beijing without risking my life on a bicycle in the busy city streets? That's precisely what I thought, so Leroy, Andrea, Megan and I tore off to make it happen. After some bad directions from the National Geographic guidebook, we found ourselves wandering through Bai Hai Park. Eventually we found our way out and hunted down a bicycle rental man. Just a single ¥200 yuan deposit for four bikes and we were off to explore.
I ducked and dodged and cutoff cars and buses like a true Beijinginite on a bicycle. Through hutongs, on sidewalks, around taxis, and down stairs we rode. We laughed and sweated more than we have all month. I weaved across a six-lane road in front of two-way traffic and barely beat a quick moving taxi to a spot in the intersection. I had Megan panicked that I wasn't going to make it out alive. I was in the mood, in the moment, in Beijing. I was having the time of my life!
We went nowhere and everywhere all at once. A stop for lunch let us collect our thoughts while we sat in the air conditioning for a bit. I ate a "chicken ball in chili sauce," and NO, it wasn't a testicle, nor was it chili sauce. Nonetheless it was delicious, and I mean it. We were back in the open air in no time, riding like the wind. Most of Beijing's roads are equipped with heavily used bike lanes. The bicycle traffic might be more intense than its motorized cousin. Wrong ways, one ways, skinny gaps between buses and cars and pedestrians, and intersections are never an obstacle. The Tour de Beijing it certainly was.
XOXO
1 comment:
MS. KELS
Have you forgotten the life threatening ordeal while in Greece?
Please be careful.
Still, I loved the story.... I could just hear your laughter and see you having all this fun.
SCS
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