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Published: December 22nd 2008
It's nearly Christmas and we've arrived in Beijing on schedule. We got here a couple of days ago after a 30 hour train ride from Ulan Bator. We were really sad to say goodbye to Mongolia and the family that ran our guesthouse. We spent quite a while in U.B.- partly because there are only 2 trains a week to Beijing. It's a brilliant city- despite having miainly Soviet architecture- it's got loads going for it and has lots of cafes and bars caterinfg for ex-pats (there are lots of them- mining industry maybe?). We spent one afternoon at an enormous market on the ege of the city- actually called 'The Black Market' (!). Apparently it's one of the biggest in Asia (certainly the biggest we've seen). It's nearly all outside and is absolutely massive. Noone seems to care that it's so so so cold. The day we went it was below -20 degrees C. To get around its long rows of stalls people just skid on the ice! It sells everything from antiques to clothes to beds and baths.
Our train to Beijing was even better than the one to Mongolia (good job we didn't do this trip the
other way round!). But the journey was boring apart from views of the Great Wall and frozen rivers and mountins when we got into China. We we're nervous about getting off the trian- knowing that we're in China for the next 8 months meant that we were really really really hoping we liked it.
Luckily.... it's amazing!!! We were hoping to be basking in plus 5 daytime temperatures and in fact it feels like about minus 15 because of the wind... but apart from that we love it. We're staying in a great hostel just south of Tianamen Square, in the 'Hutong' (narrow alleyways). It doesn't feel like low season here because there's a million times more tourists than in anywhere else on our trip. It's clearly been really done up for the Olympics as everything is so clean and straightforward- there are even signs in English! (unheard of in Russia). It's not cheap but we're managing to spend very little by going into places without any English signs or menus and pointing at other people's food. We think that's the trick to eating very cheaply but it does come with obvious risks!
My favourite thing about Beijing
is that you can buy baked sweet potatoes from street vendors. They cost about 15p each and are just so yummy and warming.
In a couple of days we're relocating to a lovely hotel to spend Christams in little bit of luxury courtesy of Tristan's Mum and Dad. There's lot of Christmas about here. Though I think it's mainly in the shops- it's not a holiday and there's no big tree in Tianamen Square! We're thinking of going to the Great Wall on Christmas Day so it'll be a day to remember! We'll be thinking of home a lot though.
Merry Christmas everyone!!! We miss you! Loads of love x x x x
No photos this time but we'll put some up as soon as we can so please check back.
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Bon Britland
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So good to SPEAK to you both!
It has been wonderful to actually speak to you both this weekend - sounding well, happy, excited and so interesting .. clear as a bell, too! Love you both SO much! Big hugs! Mum-Bon xxx