BEIJING - TEMPLE OF HEAVEN

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09.11.08

The sun has come back to shine over the city on our last day here. Time has come to pack our stuff again and get ready to leave. We decided to spend our last few hours in Beijing at the Temple of Heaven Park, just half an hour walking from the hostel. It is apparently the finest example of Ming architecture ever built. And it's truly amazing. Despite the fact that traditional Chinese architecture can look the same everywhere, these round buildings with sky blue tiled roofs, are stupendous.
Here we reached the top of our popularity when a lady filmed us walking past when she saw us. We stopped for a coffee on the way back, and to the supermarket to make our “train survival kit”. It's quite hard to shop at the supermarket here, they sell everything you would never buy and they don't have anything you're looking for. As usual we opted for a variety of instant noodles.
Once collected our bags at the hostel, we asked how to reach the West Station. Due to the English knowledge at the reception desk, we thought a taxi was the easiest. The driver made compliments to Michael for his beard, as well as pointing at Mao Zhedong Mausoleum when we passed by Tiananmen Square. And when we got to the station Michael paid him twice the price!
Beijing West is a huge train station, with an impressive hall, different floors, and numerous waiting lounges. Everything clearly flooded by a sea of people. As soon as we get in, after the luggage check, we immediately spot our train and related waiting room on the display. The great room is overcrowded but we manage to find somewhere to sit, and wait for our train. If you feel embarrassed being the centre of attention, never get into a place like this. Hundreds of Chinese eyes are all for you.
Half an hour before the train departure, the massive, shapeless cue of people starts moving and soon they're all passed through the tickets check. We take our stuff and follow the way. The train is very long and we walk along the platform to find our carriage. We've been lead to our cabin and showed our beds. There's already a man inside that after few conversations on the phone soon goes to sleep. It's not even 6.00 pm and it's already dark outside.
I didn't dare look at the man eating because the noise was already revolting enough, plus all the Chinese I've seen eat with their mouth open. Michael is hypnotized by his laptop playing the car game.
At one of the first stops another man gets on and occupies the last bed in the cabin. He reads a Chinese book, the first man reads Vietnamese. They're both young and have their little finger nail incredibly long. For dinner we have our noodles and soon we go to sleep. We're too tired

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