And more Beijing

I have been trying to post pix from this computer but so far no go - so I lied last blog. Will keep trying. As it is, we are just hanging out in Beijing and seeing city sights we did not see previously and also trying to save $ by not getting too extravagant. The evenings we spend walking around in the hutongs which are the thriving, living alleyways where kebabs, peanuts, baked goods and savories along with virtually everything you can imagine is sold in the evenings. People walk hand in hand, families stroll and chat and many discussions are held in low lighted areas where the smell of pubic toilets can shave the hair off your chin by simply passing by.

Funny, or frustration of the day - solicited by an old guy to ride in the back of his pedicab, bicycle type rickshaw - we refused solidly several times until he brought his price down- waaayy down and finally relented. As soon as we climbed in, he lit up a smoke and started nattering away at us about the cheap bastards that we are (we don't know Chinese but I think anybody would get the gist) and not only that, but he was also talking to everyone along the way who would listen about what cheap bastards we were. We just laughed it off and chalked it up to "hey buddy, you were the one who negotiated the price" until we reached our intended destination.

When we got out of the bike, I gave the buddy twice the negotiated amount as I thought he would not be so pissed with us whereupon he started saying that he wanted TEN U.S. Dollars - HUH?? We said no way, he grabbed Ivan (who I thought remained very cool considering the situation) and wouldn't let him go and a melee (mostly me I have to say) ensued. Him yelling at me and me yelling at him and finally we left him the money that I had decided to give him and him yelling at us, of which I have no doubt - "Cheap bastards - white devils, hairy foreigners"!!! Just another day in China.