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Published: August 8th 2007
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Day 2 of Beijing: Breakfast, Tiananmen Sq, Forbidden City, Silk Market, Hand Pulled Noodles
MMM and I got out of the hotel around 9:00 and had breakfast at a nearby Chinese restaurant and had small steamed buns and complimentary soy milk. We then headed to Tiananmen and the Forbidden City. Too bad the weather was overcast and pretty hazy. As you can tell in the pictures, Beijing looked pretty dismal that day. The haze is a mixture of fog and pollution (eew). MMM and I thought the haze added to the Communist feel. Don't be fooled: haze doesn't mean that the sun was hiding and that the weather was comfortable. Why didn't the sun burn through that haze? It was hot!
We spent an extra 15 rmb on a ticket to walk to the top of the Imperial Gate. No bags/purses are allowed to be carried while on the Gate, so everyone needs to wait in line to check their bags. Naturally, it costs money to check your bag too. MMM got a taste of waiting in line in China - people cutting, invading your space, people nagging you to buy something, etc. To make things worse, after we
went up the Gate, we had to retrieve our bags, and had to wait in the line again! So inefficient.
MMM and I rented the audio tour of the Imperial Palace. The audio tour device had a GPS function so as you walked around the device was prompted to explain what you were looking at. Quite neat. You can see that we are wearing the devices around our necks in every picture. I would highly recommend the audio tour if you don't have a private guide.
Starbucks closed the store inside the Forbidden City two weeks prior. Probably a good decision by Starbucks. I admit, I wouldn't have minded a frappucino that day.
Imperial Palace is still strikingly grand and beautiful, depsite the restoration and construction. The original buildings are over 500 years old Some parts look unusually "new" which makes everything seem less authentic. The renovation ruined some of the sights, but overall, I am still impressed by the architecture and detail! I liked the carvings on the steps and walls, and the dragons on the tile rooftops. The size of the Forbidden City is unbelievable - over 180 acres. It is truly has a majestic
feel!
I couldn't believe how brutal the sun was while we were walking around. It felt like the sun was just beating down on us. There were only a few exhibits with air conditioning. I have a big v-neck tan from that day. I wish I had pictures to prove it, but my face and neck were dripping with sweat and my shirt entire shirt and waist of my shorts were damp. So disgusting. There was a period of time I was so hot I didn't want to talk, take pictures or even move. It was too hot to even blink. It definitely was the most miserable heat I've experienced since coming to China. I can't describe how cranky I was! We couldn't quite handle walking all 180 acres, but still managed to explore the Forbidden City for hours! I have to say, as much as I liked the Forbidden City, the thought of it makes me cringe a little because of the weather that day.
We caught a cab back to the hotel and showered. I felt a zillion times happier afterwards. MMM and I then went shopping at Beijing's Silk Market, which is similar to the
old Xiang Yang Market in Shanghai. Silk Market is a multi-level complex filled with knock-off vendors. They had everything there from golf clubs, Rolexes, and polo shirts to Coach purses. We bought some small things and I got a knock-off LeSport Sac bag (40 rmb). LeSport Sac seems to be a somewhat popular brand here, as the brand is sold at large department stores, and have retail shops all over. It's oddly expensive too. Anyway, I also got a fake Kipling backpack to bring to class and to use on my hiking travels. The girl asked for 240 rmb (yeah, right!) and I tried to bargain down to 50 rmb, but I caved in and agreed to 60 rmb. It makes me mad when vendors start with a high starting price. MMM got some good bargains too. We were much more successful here than in all of Hong Kong!
The heat affected our appetite and we didn't really eat until after shopping. We had hand-pulled noodles at a restaurant nearby. Not bad for 15 rmb.
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lks
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shopping
nice, glad to hear you've found some good bargains. you guys mention sweat in almost every blog. must be hot and humid! yipes!