COMING SOON HOUSE ADVERTISING ads_leader
Saved: December 29th 2014
Well our first impressions of Beijing were an incredibly clean, friendly city. Arrived on China National Day and walked with the crowds to Tian'an Men Square which was heaving with people surrounding Chairman Mao's Mauseleum.
Next day off to Hou Hai lake area which was stunningly beautiful. Took a Rickshaw with a mad driver who kept shouting "beep beep" while weaving in and out of everyone. By the way there are now 10 million bicycles in Beijing so Katie Melua needs to update her song!! We even decided to get the subway back which we managed very well for us. We ate delicious Peking Duck pancakes. Strolled along the night food market looking at things on sticks. They had King Spiders (eek), Silk Worm Crysallis and Cockroaches. Not as hardcore as we thought we were because we just couldn't do it. Watched one mad american munch his way through a huge Scorpion. Thought we could maybe do the breadcrumbed chunks of meat until we were told they were Dog and Cat. Went for the fried Banana Doughnut in the end.
Next day deciding not to go down the tourist route and get a guided trip we took the 2
Evening food market
Anyone for King Spider on a stick?hour local bus to Mutian Yu to see the Great Wall. We took a cable car up high into the mountains and then walked to the end of that section. 1900 steps up and then walking along the furthest part which was not restored and crumbling. It said not to go past the sign but Terry being Terry said what the hell and we found more stunning views perched on the edge on huge rocks. Started getting a bit of altitude sickness up there. Then we took a toboggan each down the massive luge to the bottom (Terry commenting that he couldn't have done it in 3 years time because they wouldn't let anyone over 60 on it). Another long trip back on the local bus and then asked a taxi driver to take us back to our hotel and he refused. We realised they were waiting for fresh meat to come off the trains so they could charge them way over the top.
Today we have done the Forbidden City, again heaving with people as it was another National Holiday. Think we should move here, they seem to have constant Bank Holidays! It was wonderful (and absolutely vast).
The weather has been gorgeous since we got here and is a bonus because we weren't expecting it to be this hot. All you at home will be glad to know we have loads of photos (and we're only 4 days in). Monkey has been photographed in some amazing locations (for those of you that don't know, this is our office monkey). You would think we were Posh and Becks over here, everyone has been wanting their photographs taken with us and children keep running up to touch us and say hello.
COMING SOON HOUSE ADVERTISING ads_leader_blog_bottom
Tot: 0.066s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 5; qc: 45; dbt: 0.043s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
T
non-member comment
Whimp
Fried banana doughnut!!! Must admit that's what I would have had also.