Ni Hao again. (Pequena versao em portugues no final) Amanda and I are having a blast exploring Beijing. We have estimated that 98% of the thousands of tourists here are orientals and 2% Westerners. Of these 2%, 99% are Europeans. Thus, it feels like we are the only ones from the US or Brazil. It's interesting walking on grounds that have be "civilized" for more than 3,000 years and with a population of 1.3 billion people. Beijing is huge, busy, smoggy, and very modernized, for the most part. This is truly a land of opposites, where the ancient and the modern collide. We have explored the popular sites but also some off the bitten path ones. We have been brave enough to venture pedicab rides, from hutongs (ancient courtyards houses on small alleys, rich neighborhoods of
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