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Published: September 17th 2009
Snack Street Entrace
Every Scorpion's worst nightmareIt feels a bit arrogant apologising for not writing a blog for a few days, I'm sure it's not that important, but in case anybody was wondering, we haven't died, and I haven't lost interest in the blogs, we've just taken a few days out to...well...sleep and watch DVDs. We've been a bit slack really.
But we decided we had to do something today, so we did. Susie spent the day with Kate doing a bit of work together, and I went for a walk through one of the more famous parts of Beijing - Wanfujing Dajie to the Forbidden city (again). It's one of the more famous shopping areas of Beijing, and where all the up-market places like Rolex and Cartier have based themselves, but there's some interesting side shops and side alleys to explore and have a look down. One of them is called Snack Street - aptly named because it is a side street that sells snacks. When I say snacks, it's probably not how you would imagine it though. If it walks, crawls, swims, flies, slithers or finds any other mode of propulsion - you can eat it, and it's for sale on this street. I
Scorpions Flanked by Seahorses
See what I mean?! I should have taken a video to prove they were ALIVE went during the day, about 1:30PM, so it wasn't TOO disgusting, when Kate went she said she saw a baby shark on a stick. My experience was limited to scorpions, sea-horses and starfish on a stick...it would have been better if the scorpions had been dead, rather than writhing in agony owing to the stick that had been stuck up them. It's definitely an interesting place though, worth having a look if you're not too squemish about that sort of thing. I'll try to go again tomorrow night and see if it's any different.
From there, I walked around the corner onto a main road and was stopped by a young girl from Inner Mongolia who wanted to chat and after I mentioned that I was here with my wife, she asked me out - very odd...then I met another girl who was about 3 foot tall and she walked with me for about 15 minutes just chatting and then said that she would go into her school to get me her email, so I followed her in and then realised I'd been suckered into a sales pitch to buy one of her paintings (because she's a "struggling artist"
More snack street
It's a very popular place, although I didn't actually see anybody eating the insects to be honest and it's "very hard to afford to study in beijing" and so on). It's really annoying, most of the people here are really lovely, but there's a few who are just putting it on so that you will buy something for them. So you don't really know who to trust. I think the secret is to treat everybody like they're nice, but if they mention art or tea, tell them you have to go before you get suckered in. There's a scam running here where students take you to a tea house and then get you to pay the bill, which is generally in the hundreds of Australian Dollars, and if you don't they physically have a go at you. I haven't seen that one yet, but the art student one seems to be very popular where I was. Anyway, I didn't buy anything, and she was upset with me, but serves her right anyway.
So from there I was a bit annoyed with people, and then a guy offered to ride me the 400m to the Forbidden City and wouldn't leave me alone, so I had to yell at him, and then finally I got to the Forbidden
Moat around the Forbidden City
Just outside the walls of the Forbidden City City. That place makes me happy - it's so awesome.
Unfortunately, it was a pretty smoggy day, so the city wasn't as good, I didn't go in because it wouldn't have been such a good use of my cash for the day, so I just looked outside the walls at the moats and stuff, got in trouble from some guy for taking a photo of something I shouldn't have, and then decided to go to the Olympic Village.
Unless the Olympics happen to be on again in the time I'm staying here, which I've been advised is pretty unlikely, I don't think there's much point going there, it's all very underwhelming. Too much walking for not enough impressing stuff. The buildings are cool, but it was so smoggy you couldn't really see them that well, and they were so far apart, it was just a bit dumb to be honest. The good part of it is that it's the first chance I've had on the subway system to get a seat without being in a face-off with somebody!
After that I met up with Lloyd, got an awesome massage at a place in the city for cheap,
Mao's Mausoleum
On the way out of the Forbidden city Gates and then met up with some friends at a Mexican restaurant.
A good day all round, even if this blog seems a bit negative, I had great fun. I think the secret to not getting annoyed so much in the city is to not be looking at your Lonely Planet book so much. I'll try that out next time and see how it goes.
OK, that's all, hope everybody's well. Just quickly, we just wanted to say how proud we are of my Mum, she's a legend, and while we all know she's one in a million - we can't prove it. We can, however, prove that she's one in a hundred, because they Doctor's told her - no more cancer!!! What a legend. Love you Mum, can't wait to get home and celebrate with everybody.
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Awesome-face
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WOO
Haha, fighting off all the ladies in China, Ray? They're only human! Also, ditto to Aunty Lyn being awesome and loving her :D