Sunday, March 15, 2009

More Saturday......





On Saturday we left earlier than we should have for our dinner date with friends from our hometown. Once we were dropped off at the restaurant by our lovely driver Joe we found we had an hour and a half to kill before meeting. So we decided to spend the time walking. Some of my best memories of the last trip to China with Isabel last year were of just walking in the very gentle warmth of the evening around what I perceived as a typical chinese neighborhood.

We chose a direction and headed off. When the main street filled with huge blocks of apartment buildings became too tedious we headed up the next alley. Beth was a little nervous about being off the beaten path which only increased when a man on a bicycle began calling out in aloud voice, the same message each time. Turns out he was a salesman of some kind selling whatever was in the large container on the back of the bike.

We passed a hospital and then spied an interesting looking bridge a head. This entry gave way to a beautiful park. It was a little bit of magic bathed in the golden light of the sun low in the sky. We crossed the bridge and meandered along a path beside a pretty little lake. It was busy but not over crowded and we were the only westerns...........well, I guess I was. There were boats and amusement rides and a gigantic water park. It must be lots of fun and a very pleasant place in the summer. We stopped and watched the children on all the kiddie rides and there was an area where they could do artwork and even an area where they had
wheels for making clay pottery.

On we wandered and then we followed some modern chinese and western pop music and an outdoor roller skating park. The girls really wanted to have a go and against my better judgement I consented and paid up the 36 quai ($7) for the rental of skates and for an hour of unadulterated fun!! They had no problems and zoomed around and around and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. I was praying for no bad falls and no head injuries since no one wore a helmet.

So there is a lesson learned..........go off the beaten path and you may be surprized what you find.

We finished up our walk after skating and were still early meeting our friends.

No comments: