Beijing, China

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Beijing, China from October 1 - 6, 2006

Day One: I squished into a crowded rush-hour bus to Tiananmen Square. Don't let bus transportation intimidate you, it really isn't so bad. I actually found many English-speaking students taking the bus (and they were very helpful) and the ticket-taker actually held a seat for me on one occasion. Maybe it's me but I didn't find T-square to be very impressive. For one, I wasn't even sure I was in the square. Now that I'm home, I'm not even sure I was there. I guess it didn't help that I wasn't on a tour and I was by myself (and it was my first day in China). Anyways, I strolled through a nearby garden and then found my way to the Forbidden City. The FC is a huge layout of what was once the royal palace.

Day Two: I took a tour (through the Red Lantern Hostel) to the Great Wall. We went to the section called Mutianyu. There's a cable car to get up to the wall (it's a ski lift). The Wall is in pretty good condition here and from what I've heard, it's 'relatively flat.' You can take a slide down, which I never expected. It was a great afternoon.

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Photos

The Great Wall - Mutianyu
View of the Wall