Beijing Delights

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A definite must mention is:- if you stay at a hotel near the airport do not expect a taxi driver to take you to the airport. The line up of taxis are unbelievable, they must have to wait for hours to get a fare. So we were forced to hire what is called a "black taxi" which is a private car. Feel free to try to bargain for a reasonable fare,we got one that was prepared to go there for ¥40 instead of the quoted ¥50. A taxi would have been ¥20.

So Martin arrived, we slept for a few hours, and armed with a bowl of noodles and cup of tea in the morning we did the black taxi from our airport hotel to the airport to use the public transport trip to take us into the city.

I had booked through the hostelworld website a youth hotel with a private double and ensuite in the area called DongCheng in the old historic Hutong area of Beijing, a short walk away from Tiananmen Sqaure.

What a brilliant place, tiny shop front,staff with useable English, in a lane way that was authentic with real people living and working as well as a mixture of shops, eating places, hotels, and tourists. Great room, lovely atmosphere,recommend whole heartedly, less than 1km walk from Qianmen train station which is on the loop line 2 subway.

We spent the day wandering around this area,sampling this and that of the street food and a Starbucks coffee. Gotta have the FIX!
Smells,sounds, colours, people; old men playing cards,spicy foods on BBQcooking, colorful vege stalls, hawkers telling you they have the deal of a life time, laden bikes, guards and police, so much to see.

The Hutongs are a major tourist site for Chinese as well, as this area luckily was granted a preservation order. You walk from this area through two massive remnants of the oldstone walls and gates (Arrow Tower and Front Gate) that protected the Royal Family in the Forbidden Palace which is about 2km past Mao's mausoleum which is on the middle of Tiananmen Sqaure.

Tonight we watched the flag lowering ceremony with crowds 6deep around the area. Lucky this is not holidays and it's quiet!
The soldiers march with precision from across the road at the mausoleum, and when the flag was final lowered there was such a sense of reverence and solemnity amongst the crowd.

Dinner this evening was at a little restaurant in our lane way with food from the Xinjiang region. Muslim people, but they still served beer,so we dined and drank like kings. 4dishes: lamb with tomato, capsicum and tomato; potato and beef with pepper; broccoli and eggplant, andbokchoy and shitakemushroom , and 3 big beers.

The Wall tomorrow,Ba Da Ling, from Beijing North train station and an S train. Temperature tomorrow 4-14 chance of rain and minus for Sunday!

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Photos

Hutong area of Dong Cheng
Real people still work and live in these areas beside the hotel and hostels

Reading the menu?
Martin attempting a casual look

Qianmen Dajie
Colourful street with a mixture of old, new, expensive and bargains

Historic area
Most of the buildings have a colourful past with these photographs explaining some of their history

Street Guards
These splendid young men were everywhere in Qianmen Dajie, not quite sure what they were supposed to do

Yoghurt
These are ceramic pots which get refilled once you drink them

Street lamps
Recognise these spinning clacky toys?

Bus order
Each bus line requires you to stand in a certain area to catch the bus.
Same goes for long distance trains where you line up to wait for the train in car number order