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Published: August 28th 2008
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Summer Palace, Beijing
me and a stroppy Spencer!!!!! What with all the hype of Beijing lately I thought I may get the final blog out
BIG BIG thanks to everyone for all your comments and messages...(especially you Damo, slight hint of scarcasm there if you didn't get it) Charlie, Marie - T, Pat, Cozzie,.. I could go on.. makes it worth all the hrs Ive spent in internet cafes.. Im sure Karen will agree!!! I think by far, out of all the countries I have been to, China has made the most impression on me... the people the most amazing, second to this Buenos Aries.. On the over night train to Beijing I decide to ring John Candy AKA Spencer and see what the story is... he sounds in good form... says he is leaving for US in 2 weeks and no problem to come and stay.. own room etc etc.. I think 'fek it ill go for it' nice to hang out with someone that knows Beijing... etc etc....
I convince myself!! From the train station I hop in a taxi and tell the taxi man where Im going in chinese... he looks just as confused as me, I start to sing the I'm
Lovinnnnnnnnnn it.. tune from the Mc Donalds Ad... he still has no idea...
Eventually get to Makkie D's where of course John is waiting... I get some nudal soup for breaky and head for the apartment.. alls great.. own room, loads of space, nothing is done that day really, just settling in, ordering dinner and beers, JC tells me about Beijing and about himself... from American football to Iraq...... I TRY &keep my mouth shut... ARRGGHHHH!!!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaanyway... night is pushing on and we have agreed to get up really early and set out together for the
Summer Palace so I say goodnight and head for my room (picture the apartment.......... the kitchen is small.. it has a table and chairs where we sit around.. in this same kitchen are 4 doors, 2 bedrooms, toilet and kitchenette...No sitting room with a couch ....
I walk towards the door - the - door - is - jammed!! -(just like in the Ann & Barry books from high infants.
I look around in confusion.... ' There's something wrong with the door?????????' i exclaim!!....
He tries it,
I try it,
we try some keys..
try ringing
the landlord..
nothing is working....
OMG OMG..where am I going to sleep now.....
JC kindly says I can sleep in his room....and share the bed... I cant fuking believe this is happening......... long story short... I got no sleep... fully clothed I get into bed and get out 6 hours later in the same position... I didnt move an inch for the whole time...... incase I was flattened.... or worst case senario I had to do a Jackie Chan...
Door miraculously opens the next morning... has this guy got some flippin' remote control or what or was it in my case BAD LUCK..
We head off in a taxi for
Summer palace.... I have to say this place is just serene....(def one not to miss while in Beijing) the day we had was just fabulous a beautiful crisp morning with blue skies, the pictures are great, so lucky as a few days later Beijing was covered in snow.
JC doesnt utter a word for most of the day, I ask him whats up.. he grunts something out... I think it was that he doesnt wake up till later so dont talk to him till then....
ZZZzzzz
I think its hilarious and take no notice of his grumpy face.... what a pain in the arse!!!!
I still enjoy the day and even enjoy it better by dragging his fat ass up and down every monument and bridge!! lol!
by 3pm we are pretty tired.. me cos I got NOOO sleep and him cos he is just a lazy ass GRRR!! He decides he wants to go to the
Great wall with me when I do go.,..
Oh yeah Spence.. your soo much fun I can't wait!
Im thinking I dont think so.. plus you need to be some way fit for the great wall ...
When we get back I tell him Im packing my bag and heading for a hostel as I feel I am putting him out etc etc but JC assures me there wont be any more door jamming... so I stay...the next few days I hardly see the apartment, get up early and leave for the day.. shopping,
Tiananmen Square (which is HUUUGE and pretty awesome) to see Maos body, huge huge queues, you would think that you'd be there for the day but I was in and out
in 20 minutes, then across the Square to
The Imperial City.... my opinion on this (and I dont speak for everyone) but it was just a little boring for me ...... just not my thing at all, so just breezed in and out.
I also get roped into one of those student scams.. where I went happily off to a tea room with 3 students that speak great english.. only to discover 10 mins into drinking the most expensive tea in the world that I was going to be paying for it.... it was like realising you've just stood into cow shite.... luckily I got out of it fairly fast, I had read about all thses scams but sooo did not register when it was happening... they are shit hot I'll say that much!!
The weather has held up for the whole time I am here and on my second last day I head for
The Great Wall... but the snow has started and it's falling really heavy - JC says he can't come as he has study class..I'm gutted - NOT... and head off at 7am for the metro... I get lost and I tell
you.. I must have spent an hour looking for someone that spoke English... eventually I get to where Im looking for, the bus building to The Great Wall, buy my ticket and wait... then someone tells me its cancelled because the roads are blocked by heavy snow. Im so annoyed as now its my last day and Ive missed out on the one thing I really wanted to do while in Beijing...... I'm on the verge of shedding a tear ..... if you can picture that one...
But outside the official building for the great wall tours are touts who will to take you for a bigger fee so I go for it.... I'm the only english speaking person on the bus which has nooo heating so Im freezing my tush off, eventually get to the Wall and WOW..WOW.. WOW.. not surprising its covered in snow which it even cooler by all accounts... the steps are huge.. I feel like a child climbing a giant stair case....
By the end of the great wall Im ready for home but this tour thing takes you around to places where I just didnt want to go, Jade factorys, Jade factories
and more jade factories where I buy some jade bracelets, restaurants..more jade factories etc etc... word to the wise... get a taxi back..
Its late when I get back and cold but I cant resist one more trip to the
Pearl Market Shopping Centre everything... just everything can be got here.....
well guys that's it from me till next trip..... maybe Xmas.. maybe not.. who knows...
If Carlsberg were to do a Round The World Trip it would probably be mine!!
And on that note I will leave you for now.....
Bxx
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collette
non-member comment
yooooooohooooooooo!
Hey girl pics are fab,and just to show ya i did read it...........that last line was class! maybe next summer b,huh? xxxCol.