May 17 Tuesday

Our first stop Tuesday morning was to a wet market that was a lot newer than the wet market that we visited in Guangzhou. At today's wet market we got to see how different cuts of meat were cut. Some of the carcasses we got to see were pig, goat, chicken, beef, lamb, and fish. While there we had the opportunity to watch a chicken being processed. This was beneficial because we were able to compare how it is done in the U.S. While at the chicken processing booth, we learned why they have black chickens. The people of China created a black chicken with black bones that contains dark meat. The reason the Chinese people prefer this type of chicken is because they believe it is more flavorful. At a different chicken booth we found colored chicks. They were pink, orange, and green in color. The reason they were colorful was due to the Chinese people injecting the embryos with dye. After the wet market we walked upstairs to a spice market. While up there we were able to see and smell the different types of spices the Chinese people use in their meal preparation.  

After we were finished with the spice market we took a one hour bus ride to the train station. Once we arrived at the train station we thanked Maggie for everything she taught and showed us. After saying goodbye to Maggie we went through security and then had lunch on our own in the train station. After lunch we sat in the station waiting until our departure at 1:18pm.  

While on the 4.5 hour train ride we were able to see all the different types of scenery while traveling at 307 km/hr (190 mph). Some of the scenery we saw was local farm fields, as well as smaller villages. Some other scenery we saw was mountains. In America we would normally travel around the mountain but here we traveled through them instead. On the train ride to Beijing it was very interesting to see and compare the land to the United States and how they use it compared to us. The farmers over here would make terrace after terrace to farm every possible inch of ground. Over here all the ground is used for growing crops instead of livestock, whereas in the United States we graze livestock on it and don’t think twice about it.  The ground here is worth so much that the Chinese people can’t afford to do that.

Once we safely arrived in Beijing, we met our new tour guide Michelle. After we left the train station, Michelle took us to a very nice restaurant were we experienced a local hot pot supper. At the hot pot supper we had little individual hot burners with a pot on top of it to cook our various options. Some of our options included mutton, beef, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, noodles, kelp, and shrimp. After supper we took a half hour drive to our hotel to check in to prepare for a full day tomorrow of travel, learning, and sightseeing.