Begiining in Beijing

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So then ,where do we begin, ????

After our siesta yesterday which lasted 12 hours, it was time to get out and do "stuff".

First we hopped on the metro just 2 stops to Beijing Railway Station as my online ticket agency let us down with our train tickets to Shanghai.We managed to get some but need to stay in Beijing another 2 days, doesnt matter as we have realised this place is so big and there is so much to see we can easily fill them.

After another hearty chinese breakfast we first headed off to Tian anmen square , only being a 10 minute walk from our hotel we soon enough reached the vast expanse, absoloutely swarming with chinese tourists!

It was a bit smoggy this morning and to be honest the noise and amount of people made it a bit heavy going to take a proper look round.

The buildings on the west and east of the square are huge, perhaps that is why the 2 big screens bang in the middle of the square are possibly the largest i have ever seen, not sure if they show the live matches but looking at Evertons result from last night probably ok if they dont!!

We had a couple of photos taken by the obliging chinese and then moved north up the square to the most famous site in China, The Imperial Palace.

We expected this to be big but.................................seeing is believing, the place is HUGE, we spent about 4 hours are there but we skipped a lot due to a massive thunderstrom which brought with it some specatacular lightening in mid afternoon.

To actually see the palace in "real life" rather than on movies or documentaries is possibly worth the airfare to China alone, the buildings, the decoration, the small museums , the throne rooms, all just mind boggling.

Afetr the palace we made our way to Wanfujing around a 20 minute stroll away, this is the shopping street famous for its designer stores, plaza malls and ........KFC.

Thankfully Jina only stung me for one jacket so i consider myself as getting off lightly.

Then back to the hotel area , a typical maze of narrow streets , full of restaurants and small shops, we have discovered a restaurant where we can have 5 LARGE dishes and 2 LARGE beers for the equivalent of 7/8 euros, happy days!!!!

We are off to The Great Wall hopefully tomorrow ................;

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Comments

[Auntie Jen]

Can picture it
Bringing back memories of last years holiday !Keep the blogs up as I can picture some of the places . Glad you are enjoying it. Mind you we didn't hit the shops .Eating in a restaurant I see !Were the flowers out in " the square " . If so not usually there - just put them out for their big holiday.Weren't any screens when we were there. Hope it isn't too smoggy for you when you go to the wall or you will miss the view. If you have time you have to go to the Summer Palace as it is an amazing area.Unless you are desperate to see a panda give the zoo a miss.x

[MarkJina]

The Wall
No, did the wall today via metro and train, great to see but sure theres bigger and better sights awaiting us, i will private email pics soon, off to Shanghai on Tuesday xx

[MarkJina]

PS the "restaurant" was a table on the street near Qianamen , we are slumming it, but at a good price!