Eric's Beijing Diary

Out of the Beihai sauna into the crisp Spring air of North China. What a difference a simple airplane flight makes! It's good to be home. Beihai does have nice evenings, but the mosquitoes really get to me. It isn't just their biting. They chew with their mouths open. Keeps me awake. I got about an hour of sleep last night.

When I got back to Beijing (that is, the part of me that hadn't been digested by the mosquitoes), I took the shuttle bus back to the university. The airport shuttle is a lot cheaper than a taxi, and it stops right at the North Gate, which is where I live. Only problem is, on the way back, it drops me off on the far side of the Ring Road, so I have to walk around to the cross over bridge. I had just gotten off the bus, and was beginning the hike, when a motorcycle taxi pulled up. Couldn't resist. If it had been summertime with my backpack, I wouldn't have bothered. But when I am teaching, I travel with a considerably heavier load, what with books, computer, and generally more changes of clothes.

The motorcycle taxis in Beijing usually charge 5 kuai, although I did have one down by the Square try to charge me 50 once. They are not metered, so you need to be sure about the price before you get in. But those guys are generally pretty good. Don't ever, ever pay 50 kuai for a motorcycle taxi, though. In many cities they only charge 3, but in Beijing they have always asked for 5, and I don't argue. I think it's a fair price.