Day 56 - 3/11 - Beijing (after airplane flight)

We are in Beijing and bought some internet time so I can post some stuff. However, we did not pack the cable to download photos, so those will show up 2 days from now when we are back on the ship. We'll do some text, but may edit it larger once we are back.

I had a bit of trouble loging on because we brought Kathleen's computer, not mine, and some of the background Google text shows up in Chinese. I had to guess based upon my memory of where items lie on the various templates what meant what.

After our morning activity in Shanghai, we had a 2 hour flight to Beijing. We are staying in the Beijing Great Wall Hotel (in Beijing, not at GW). We had a nice buffet dinner.

We finished the day with shopping. First, we went to a department store nearby. This looked like a US Macy's or whatever, except every 15 feet there was a new designed sign overhead. The goods must have all come from designer shops around the world. All the high-end name brands.

We were weak on conversion rates, but soon figured out all costs were very high. A men's shirt was $200, bra for $120, pair of shoes for $500 to $1000! There were about 10 times as many workers as needed. When Kathleen picked up a pair of shoes to look at them, we concluded from the clerk's expression that they were supposed to pick items up for you.

What impressed me was not that they had all of these expensive items available, but that there obviously were enough Chinese with sufficient money to keep such a store in business.

We next went to a more normal store. Kathleen was looking for a specific purse. They did not have it, so Kathleen said she would look around. The clerk said she had more, and opened a secret panel in the wall to show a room of purses, watches, etc.

Still not the purse she wanted, so the clerk had more: outside, through and alley and into another room. Here were same items stuffed floor to ceiling. Kathleen found her purse, pluse wallet, plus a scarf...all for $30 total.

Next back to the hotel. We found a tailor shop. I bought 3 dress shirts custom fitted for $45 each, and a custome suit for $180. Kathleen bought a formal dress custom fitted for $140. I was measured for the suit at 10:00pm this day, and returned at 8:00am the next day and the suit was ready for the final fitting...cuffs and other minor finishing items. Unbelievable. And, it fit perfectly.