News & Observer | newsobserver.com | 2008 NCAA Men's Bracket

TOKYO — I left Beijing this morning, after living there for 27 days.

I felt no sadness seeing the sprawling city of 13 million wave to me in the cab's rearview mirror. I felt only gratitude for the incredible time the city and its people showed me during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

As I write this, I'm sitting in the American Airlines lounge at Tokyo Narita International Airport, awaiting my big-hop-over-the-top flight to Chicago. (The sushi is incredible.)  I'm looking at big, fluffy, white clouds and blue skies on a beautiful afternoon, wishing I could go outside and get a taste of Japan.

That is the loveliest gift China gave me during my travels ...

BEIJING — I visited the Lama Temple, the largest Tibetan Buddhism temple in Beijing, in the northeast quadrant of the city to get a sense of how this authoritarian society deals with its political issues with Tibet. I found a quiet oasis and opportunities to pay respect to another religion, but no real answers while I was there on Thursday.

Yonghegong Lamasery is a temple of the Yellow Hat Sect of Tibetan Lamaism, the same sect that the Dalai Lama belongs to. The temple was originally built during the Ming dynasty as a residence for eunuchs around 1700. Emperor Qianlong converted Yonghegong to an imperial palace during the Qing dynasty. During a later period of that dynasty, it was converted into the lamasery for monks for Mongolia and Tibet. It's still a working monastery for Tibetan Buddhist monks.

BADALING — Here I am at the Great Wall of China. Don't I look proud? I'm hiding my PTSD well.

I went to the Badaling site, which was about an hour's drive with my trusty hired driver away from my hotel north of the city proper. We arrived after a little bit of early morning traffic in the city and I eagerly walked up to purchase my ticket for the gondola ride up the northern mountain range of China.

Keep in mind that where I live now (on the East coast), there are these hills they call mountains. No big deal. Like baby mountains. But where I was born, in Yosemite National Park, Calif., we have the Sierra Nevadas. Big mountains. Real mountains. So when I arrived at the Badaling side, I was happy to see that the Great Wall hugged similarly majestic mountains ... until I got into the gondola for the ride up.

BEIJING — The one thing you must do while you're in Beijing is go to the pearl and silk markets to find some great deals. But since Beijing has been welcoming visitors from all over the globe for the Olympics and Paralympics, I'm guessing the sales people are at the top of their game and looking at buyers while licking their chops.

That's what it seemed like on Wednesday when I finally braved the pearl market, a.k.a. Hongqiao Market to the locals, in the southern part of the city, south and east of Tiananmen Square.

It's crazier than any flea market you've ever been to because the salesgirls WILL NOT take no for an answer. I was trying to buy a new pair of sneaks, cheap of course, on the second floor and was kind of messing around because I really didn't want them. I wasn't feeling the "special price, special price, only for you, lady," so I said, "I'm sorry. You know, I really don't want them. I'm sorry."

BEIJING — Folks in Beijing ride bikes and I don't mean for leisure. Millions of Chinese get around on bikes, and mopeds and scooters for that matter, without helmets, and everyone shares the road. And that has made me very nervous around town.

BEIJING — ... you see the split-panty babies.

My first real bout with culture shock happened on Tuesday while I was visiting the Forbidden Palace and Tiananmen Square. I was walking down the street to the palace, along this beautiful tree-lined path with benches along each side. Families were having lunch or a drink and kicking back, chatting and enjoying the shade during a warm day.

Audios:

Audios: