Beijing Day 2: A Nanjinger's Raw Take for You Wanderers

[Barry Kuphal]

I saw a 3000-year-old ancient tree in Shanxi. Wow, that was a real eye-opener!

[Antonio Sawayn]

What on earth?! You're kidding!

[Emma Kihn]

When I'm out, I generally avoid walking behind middle-aged men. I'm always worried they'll suddenly turn their head and spit, and with Beijing's strong winds, it could end up right in my face.

[Kendra Howe]

Seriously, you can't even guard against it. Someone will just walk past you, hawk up a 'hetui' (sound of spitting), and launch a big glob of phlegm. It ruins your whole day!

[Pat Pagac]

Don't worry about it. In Paris, locals pee everywhere too.

[Jose Beahan]

And that just shatters the beautiful image people have of Paris.

[Susie Kutch-Green]

These people are just letting loose while traveling. They probably follow the rules at home, but once they're in another city, it's like, 'Whatever, I'm just a tourist here for a few days, I don't have to behave.'

[Hugo Witting]

People like that just can't control themselves; they're the same everywhere. The only difference when they're away from home is that more people witness their behavior. I just don't get why some people seem to have phlegm year-round and have to spit it out. Where does it even come from? Can't it be treated?

[Rafael Rau]

If you like ancient trees, you should visit Jietai Temple. They have some that are a thousand years old.

[Robyn Monahan]

Missed my chance. I used to see posts about it all the time.

[Lorena Runolfsson]

Here's a pic.

[Marc Price]

The Summer Palace is huge. First-time visitors usually only scratch the surface.

[Andrea Hand]

That's so true. If I were a local, I'd definitely get an annual pass. I'd take my time exploring all the major attractions whenever I had free time – there are so many places worth savoring.