When flying into Beijing, all I could see was a brownish yellow haze. It wasn’t until we descended into the pollution cloud that we could actually see the city. The pollution is pretty out of hand, and the whole time I was in Beijing, the air tasted like I was sucking on an exhaust pipe.
We arrived at Peking University after dark. After dropping our stuff off in our rooms I headed out with two girls, Kim and Trish, to check out the surrounding area. It was a big shock. The streets were really dirty, and the walls and sidewalks were crumbling. We found our way down a fairly well lit alley that had lots of people walking around. The poverty was apparent right away. Most of the guys were shirtless and barefoot. Women were cooking skewers of meat over makeshift fires on the sidewalk. Filthy dogs wandered in and out of shops. Peo
ple spit wherever they wanted to, and I saw a people spitting on the floors inside little shops.Unlike Japan, people walked fast, bumping into and pushing each other. I didn’t stand out too much, but the two blonde chicks I was with sure did. Thankfully the Chinese don’t stare, but they were definitely curious and were checking us out. I don’t know how this part of town stacks up against the rest of Beijing, but it was very poor. This was the first time on this trip that I have felt completely out of place. It was like a completely different world. I didn’t feel threatened, but I was definitely on edge and watching my back.
When we got toward the end of the street, there were pool halls set up under tarps tied to trees with lots of guys crowded under. As we walked by, a man was pissing on the sidewalk. The street got pretty dark, so we flipped a U-turn and headed back the way we came. The scene was bizarre to me, like something out of a dream. Being completely submerged in a place so foreign for the first time, and at night, was completely exhilarating. I realized right then how far away from home I really am.
No comments:
Post a Comment