Beijing

The only word that I can think of to describe Beijing during the Olympics is: facade.

Honestly, my least favorite part of my entire trip to China was Beijing the past few days. I remember what it was like when I flew in in February, and almost everything was unrecognizable.

Small shops and street vendors had been closed down, and I wonder what those people do now for a living. Everyone was attempting to speak English and it was awkward. It was too crowded to see anything in the city. The city looked pristine and fake.



Also, the air was bad. I know they say they cleaned it up, and I believe they did. But I lived in Lanzhou, "one of the most polluted cities in China" for five months with no problems. In Beijing I had difficulty breathing and I coughed often. I still have my cough.



It was neat to be in Beijing during the Olympics. It was an exciting atmosphere. I got to see the cycling street race which was a great opportunity.

But I didn't get to talk to any locals, except friends that I already knew who live in Beijing, and I didn't get to experience what Beijing is actually like.

I prefer small Chinese cities to large ones.

The Magic Slope

Just outside of the city of Shenyang is a “magic slope” which, as you could probably guess, is not magic. But of course, I had to go check it out.

Everyone I talked to about it in Shenyang described it as an anti-gravity hill in which you effortlessly go up, but going down you must work as if you were going up. I was picturing a road on a grassy hill, but was bracing myself for another Chinese-ified tourist attraction.

As I neared the entrance gate to the magic slope, I was pleased to note that I was in a hilly, grassy region that smelled like summer in Ohio. But actually at the magic slope I found a flat track only about 20 meters long. They had bicycles to use, but the first time through the track I walked.

I didn’t notice anything.

On the bike, half of the way I had to pedal, the last half it felt like I was rolling down a hill. Not only did I not have to pedal, I was gaining speed.

So I guess it was pretty cool, but it was not a slope whatsoever. And I never for a second imagined it to be magic.