Peanuts in vinegar

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Hi from Beijing again. After a good night's sleep we got out and about. James made coffee in the room and almost poisoned me with something he thought was milk that he got from the store near the hotel for 10cents. It tasted like a cross between UHT milk, Chinese yogurt and skim with a taint of billy goat. He could not read the writing on the bottle - maybe just as well.
Breakfast the hotel was a western buffet all you can eat for Aus$7. James was in heaven after working out the conversion. The food is brilliant, safe and plenty of it. Neither of us are shedding kgs. We went to the Forbidden City today and it is China on the grand scale. Everyone should have it on their bucket list. It is like the set for a Kung Fu film spectacular. The Chinese love having westerners in their holiday photos so we posed with lots of lovely tarts while their boyfriends took pictures.
For morning tea we had lemon tea with peanuts in vinegar with shallots. No one understood English in the little cafe so all the ordering was done with hand signals - that's probably how the peanuts ended up in the vinegar.
James is sending me off to the Great Wall and Tombs tomorrow for the day after beating the price down to Aus$35 for an all day trip including lunch! It is the only way he can stop me talking. Tonight we are going to a theatre to see the acrobats in the best seats but at a beaten down price. I don't know how he does it but he does.
We are going to hire bicycles this afternoon and ride around the city in the hope of finding the ticket office. This is to get the tickets for the trans Manchurian railway. We have 5 nights in Beijing before we take the train. It goes north of Mongolia as we don't have Mongolian visas.
Must go he has woken up from his lunchtime nap and having served in the Royal Engineers before college, everything has to be tidy and run on time. Don't worry I am going to loosen him up before this trip is over. He is going to be going for his first beer very soon, I can't go much longer. Watch this discounted space.

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Comments

[Sue G]

Peanuts in vinegar
I suspect peanuts in vinegar and strange milk will seem quite mild compared to some of the delicacies you will be enjoying. Great to hear about your adventures and that you are not wasting away. I am getting lots of information for my bucket list. Keep the blogs coming!

[Denis Carragher]

Beer
After too much peanuts in vinegar you will a beer, We will raise a glass to you tonight and save a good bottle for yourreturn.

[c ashton]

what no vias??!
Hey Super CC, Sorry not got back sooner but the Pilbara took it's toll and I have only just managed to get the orange earth from my feet (it took several pedicures and a jet wash). Trip good got several cc's but none with the humour and good grace of your good self. You should re-name your trip 'Carry on Bartering' -they will be reeling and saying 'Infamy, Infamy he got it in for me!" LOL The trip sounds amazing and James as I pictured it is doing his best (and succeeding) in becoming the most proficient discounter of the century-good man!! Sound like all is going well and hope the old legs lasted on the bikes (James's not yours!) Keep well, try to conserve your food in foil wrappers and once more into the breach-Carpe Diem:) C