Day 6 - Beijing

---

Well despite all its technological advances, China doesn't really seem to be fully into the internet age, so it's been impossible to get on and write a first entry! But we've been able to now, just as we are leaving Beijing. But back to day 1...
We arrived off the ovenight flight in Shanghai on Sunday, and got straight on the Maglev which whisked us at a top speed of 430 kmph into the city centre. It's the only Maglev in the country and it only takes 8 mins, but still puts our trains to shame. Shanghai was a pretty mixed place. It's growing very quickly and has a huge number of skyscrapers, but poverty and pretty run-down areas are literally just round the corner. Seems like some people are doing very well from China's new capatalism but others certainly not. Went to some very impressive museums and exhibitions, not least 4 floors dedicated to the 2010 Expo and plans for Shanghai's future. It all seemed very impressive and progressive. The weather was pretty horrible though, it just seemed to drizzle the whole time, and the heat made it pretty oppressive. Not sure how much was the weather and how much the pollution. Couldn't see anything from the 88th floor of the Jinmao tower but the Hyatt was pretty impressive with an atrium about 45 floors high.
Then it was off to Beijing, from one very new, spacious and impressive airport to another. Beijing is totally different. No narrow streets and tall buildings, but huge wide roads, jammed with cars, and much more sense of history. Also seemed more restrained, or controlled, in a way Shanghai wasn't, which felt more liberal and vibrant. The sites were fantastic though - the Forbidden City was amazing and covers a huge area of the city centre. Yesterday we went to the Great Wall, which was worth an uncomfortable 6 hour round trip on the mad Chinese roads. We walked about 10km along it, past the towers and up and down thousands of steps. An absolutely amazing site. Bit of Peking Duck last night and today we've been trying to escape the heat before the overnight train to Xian tomorrow. Hope all is well back home.

---