Day ONE

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Well as said we made it. Getting through Beijing International Airport was a breeze. Customs and Imigration tooks seconds as did exchanging our $ to Yuan. Annice found the kisok to buy the shuttle bus tickets which were as we expected 16 Yuan each. Right on budget ... but that's as close we styaed on budget all day ... We foudn the #3 line to Beijing and we Zonked out on the bus but woke up well before the stop at the Beijing Railway Station, found the Subway and took it to Qianmen Station whch took us close to where we wanted to be but so much changed in two years since I was last here with all the construction going on for the Olympics so we got turned around as it was hot and our back packs so heavy and as it turned out we were only minutes away from our Hostel but we negotiated a Rickshaw for 30 Yuan (about $4.00) to take us there but when he dropped us off he took us for 30 Yuan more ... per person. Oh well ... we cheked in and drank cold beer right away. Whet to a resturant that Jodi and I found and had a great meal. Food in China really sucks but we have lucked out in Beijing. This little resturants staff chants at you and clap their hands when you arrive and leave. I forgot about that. We met some cool people from Israel last night in the bar at the Hostel and politly talked politics which is easy when you all think George Bush is an idiot. We drank 'til midnight and had by then been up for 36 hours no sleep but had fun. Today we are going to the Forbiden City, Tian'an Men Square and book train tickets to Xi'an. I woke up at 5 this morning and woke up I fear the whole Hostel. The streets had just been swept and there were little piles of garbage all over awaiting to be picked up. Beijing was just awaking. The smell of sewage and hot morning air stale and humid is something you get used to ... I think. Breakfast was dumplings with malt vingar and soemthing cooked in oil on open coal in an ally which they call Hutongs.

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