The Lazy Cherub Enigma: Wangfujing

Monday 28 July 2014

Wangfujing

Today I had an epiphany. That epiphany is I am not a heat person – at all. I thought yesterday was hot but it had NOTHING on today. Short of running an ultra marathon in the Sahara, going out and walking the city all day was the stupidest thing I have done. We started the morning with riding the subway to Wangfujing. I have to say the subways here are amazing. First – AIR CONDITIONING. Second, super easy to understand. Wangfujing was in the Lonely Planet as an “interesting walking tour.” That depends on how one defines interesting. If you want to shop at Prada or hit up the Apple Store then yeah – it’s interesting. Nothing like walking on white concrete surrounded by concrete when its 4000 degrees out. We spent a lot of time browsing high-end boutiques just to escape the heat. I am sure in my crap travel clothes it was obvious I had a serious interest in a $40,000 watch. There is however a very cool “food alley” in the neighbourhood. The Good Doctor refers to it as “The Place Where you can buy anything impaled on a stick.” I suspect that in the evening when it’s a few degrees less than a blast furnace out it would be very cool to eat there and spend more time wandering.

We continued our “scenic” 10 km trek to the walls of the Forbidden City and then into Beihai Park where the White Pagoda Island resides. God I was never so happy as to be near water. At least now it wasn’t soul sucking heat just relentless heat with the occasional warm breeze. It occurred to me that I could swim in the lake to cool off (as many people were doing) but then I would have dysentery along with heat stroke to contend with. Walked up to White Pagoda, which was like climbing directly into the sun – glare, heat and all. Got to the top. Just about puked. Walked back down and continued towards the lakes and our hotel. Located Nirvana (aka STARBUCKS) and collapse inside while I waited for the Good Doctor to get me an ice coffee. Drank it in 2 seconds and then rubbed the ice cubes all over my skin because I really did have heat stroke. Continued the trek back to the hotel (18 km total by end of it). Almost got crushed between a park car and an Audi which was determined to fit down an alley that really should have no cars on it. This fascinates and frightens me. I just do not understand why you would take vehicles that cost $80,000 or more down narrow passages barely wide enough for people to get through and drive in such a way where you just drive at a slow but relentless pace. Cars in alleys NEVER STOP they just use their car as some form of passive aggressive metal people mover that herds everyone to any small space they can get to so the car – Master of the Pedestrian Walkway – can always keep moving.

Aside from the alleyways the roads here are very civilised. There are crosswalks and traffic lights, which are generally obeyed. People are polite but keep to themselves. I haven’t had a sense the big city crime happens much (pick pockets, petty thieves) and no one hassles you to buy stuff, eat at their restaurant or ride their rickshaw. They simply ask try and barter a bit and then let you move on.