Fwd: Little Piggies go to Market

"OOh, let's go to this market I found in the guidebook," exclaimed Noelle.

"Coo-ee,"  "Too right"  and "Pip-pip" exclaim us all, unconsciously channeling Jeremy Howard William's classic Three Men in a Boat, and unaware of the tragic irony of the similarity.

So we walked.  We walked through the wonderful pedestrian mall off WangFuJing with its many trappings of modern Asia.  We walked past an interesting side lane.  Went in.  It was a wonderfully authentic and charming market, with creepy foodstuffs (live scorpion on a stick?) interesting handicrafts, and more.  But it was not the one in the book, so we walked on.  And on.  And on.

To the gates of the Forbidden City (through a very windy route that took us into the most wonderful garden you can imagine).  There was something going on.  The City was packed.  We bore away toward Tian An Men square to try to meet up with Monica. 
Meet us at the big red ball, we said.  Yeah, no.  She went to the ball, but then went to the blue awnings to wait and was somehow UNABLE to pick us out of the two million people in the area.

Okay, we leave Monica to her own affairs (We leave Tom to find her) and continue on shank's mare toward this distant market.  Distant.  Distant.  Really quite far.  Noelle picked this destination, or should I say DISTination?

We walk past yesterdays peking duck restaurant, past a house, and then about a thousand others.  At about 12:00 (we started at 9) we arrive, we think, at the target market.  Yes, this seems like it.  Pretty shabby on the outside, as is par for the course, but lively.  We're the only roundeyes there, which suggests an interesting experience.  Eden buys candied tangerines on a stick (no scorpions for her).

We get a text from tom and monica "This place is great!!! Meet us at the pedestrian bridge"

We loop over to the bridge.  No Tom.  No Monica.  Guess what.  We are at different markets.  T&M are at the famous Liulichang market.  Well crap, that's a better one.  We hoof it over there and meet up.  Members of our group are now starving, their ivory complexions ruddy with exertion and their gentle fawn-like eyes clouded with fatigue.  We nip into the first tea/snack house we see and order.  Everything.  Twice.  We hope they were amused.  Monica bought a bunch of artisan teas.  Oh wait, that's a surprise. 

Monica's friends:  act surprised, okay?

Sated, we plunged deeper into the area, ending up passing through a rather long hutong (traditional area of considerably restrained economic development and infrastructure.  Pride of ownership, hard working, but not a lotta wealth)

We emerge from the Hutong, grab a cab, and return at 4pm to rooms to collapse.

Later, all gather at hotel restaurant (Jing) for okay food and perhaps the worst service we have encountered at any establishment in China.  But some of the best peking duck. so whaddya gonna do?

Okay, off to face the day