Friday, May 11. 2007: We began Day 4 in Beijing with the usual sumptous breakfast at our hotel.
We then headed through the typical Beijing traffic to visit the Hutong.
When we got to the Hutong dozens of pedicabs were waiting to take us on our tour. I would have been a bit reluctant to get onto one as it does seem a bit slave laborish.... but since they have become a staple of NYC traffic - it seemed less feudal.
Note the web site listed on the vest of the driver. Not exactly a nineteenth century experience.
The Hutong is the old alleyways of Beijing. At one time there were estimated to be over 1000 of them. Only 25 remain, mostly in the neighborehood just north of the Forbidden City. The consist of narrow passagemways and single story, very old dwellings.
But even McDonalds makes is in the Hutong.
We then went to the Drum Tower. A very long climb up a steep staircase.
The Drum Tower was a fantastic site. And we were luck enough to be there will they were performing their hourly drumming.
The view over the hutong. The air is just full of smog. It is very hard to see very far.
You can see the complimentary Bell tower from the Drum Tower as it is only a short distance away.
The hutongs de Hileran?
Of course there were street vendors.
We visited a resident of the hutong. There is a small courtyard and three families: the grandparents, and the families of the two sons.
The chinese retire early - at 50. Typically the grandmother stays home and tends the house, the grandfather takes care of the babies and the parents work. All over China we saw grandfathers with their babies.
These three small apartments around the common courtyard are worth over $1 million (US). The hutong houses, including the land, are owned by the families and have been in the families for hundresds of years. Elsewhere the governement owns the land and while everyone buys their apartment, after 70 years it reverts back to the government. Probably not much of an issue as we doubt many of the apartments will last 70 years. Ten maybe.
Thre grandmother gave us a little talk through the interpreter. She seemed like a very proud woman. She was very proud of her home and garden - but mostly I think she was proudest of her granddaughter - who's picture dominated their living room.
The aparment was air-conditioned, had a larger refrigerator and large cable TV.
We got back to our hotel in order to pick up our luggage and head for the airport to Xi'an. The 2007 Great Wall Marathon was being run shortly. No one from our tour was planning on doing it. We probably did 26 yards - not 26 miles. 
Note the Chinese pagodish toll boths. They even have a version of Easy Pass.
Getting ready to board our Hainan Airlines flight to Xi'an. Note the cyclist on the tarmac. All of our flights were on Boing or Airbus planes.
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