Gah... I am kicking myself really hard at the moment. Yesterday I had planned to meet up with Cecilia, she was going to take me to lunch and we planned for her to come to the hostel at noon and then go out from there. So in the morning, I was just lounging about the hostel killing time, and one of the British boys was heading out to see Mao as it was the last thing on his list to-do and was leaving that afternoon. He was looking for a partner to accompany him, and as I had nothing better to do at the time, I thought I may as well go. (You have to see Chairman Mao right?) We quickly walked the 7 minutes or so it took to get there and then were just ... read more

Our hostel here hosts this "Secret Wall Tour" where they guarantee you will be the only ones on the wall, so I signed up to go this morning. We had to meet at 7:00am for the bus pick-up and then crammed into a rickety mobile and bounced and jounced our way for two hours out of town. Passing through a run down village we picked up this ancient Chinese man and carried on for about 10 minutes out of the village and were dropped at the base of a hill. Because we were so out of town I actually experienced my first clear blue skies slightly scattered with white fluffy clouds. That alone was such a miracle. We hiked up and up and up, seemingly nowhere, until suddenly we arrived at the base of the wall. ... read more

Juliet and I explored 798 Art District today. It's located in what once was a largely abandoned military electronics complex, but now is transformed into unbelievable gallery and studio space. Even the exterior of several of the buildings has been made into art. Such a funky place, fringing at times into overtly touristy (unfortunately) but still lovely to see. Only the photos can really portray the wonderful time we had. (I will do my best to find some time to upload some soon!) I braved fresh vegetables today! I have been avoiding all uncooked veggies in an attempt to prevent diarrhea while out and about. (Note: thus far have not suffered unusual bowel movements). However, when passing a small cafe, we noticed this woman enjoying a tasty looking salad, and suddenly there was nothing to be ... read more

I forced myself to remain in bed until 7:00am this morning. (Still trying to adjust to the 15 hour time difference). Upon rising, I ventured outdoors and was immediately bullied into buying dumplings off the street. It was a fair breakfast and I snacked on these steaming balls as I began my explorations down the various snaking alley's of the hutong. I was surprised to see how empty the streets were, having steeled myself for the hectic crowds Beijing is so stereotyped for. The only thing I noticed was the intense stares I gathered from the general populace. All I could hope for was that I didn't have any vegetables stuck in my teeth. I found my way back to the hostel relatively easy, and was quite proud of my inner compass. A little later I ... read more