Beijing- better late than never

Before I start my next blog I find it only fair to finish the last.

I left off with Beijing.

I arrived in Beijing after my 12hr train ride from Xi'an. I was bunked with 2 men and they desperately tried to teach me Mandarin the whole trip. I think they thought it was quite the novelty to have a blond girl travelling with them.

Needless to say I arrived tired and not feeling 100%. I decided to forgo the bus as I was finding it very hard to read the street names and communicate with the drivers to let me off in China. So I opted for a taxi! Well that was an adventure.

I arrived in a queue of at least 200 people. I was an immediate target as they tried to sell me an inflated fare. But I knew exactly what I wanted and that I was only paying 25 yen, the 150 they offered.

So I wait in the line which was quite possible the only line in China, as Chinese do not queue. This line was monitored by the police, but of course someone tried to jump the queue and a full on fight ensued! The police were distracted by the fight so chaos broke out in the line. I just stood back and waited for my turn as the punches flew.

One lovely treat of this part of the trip is that a few of the backpackers from other parts of my trip were in the same hostel at the same time as me. Dave that I met in Shanghai, Sarah also from Shanghai and some new people doing a gap year from Holland and I were the only backpackers in the hostel and it was really lovely!

However, when I finally arrived at the hostel I was now feeling quite ill. Considering I had been spit on in Shanghai I suspected I had some form of flu. Well I don't remember much of the rest of that day or the next as I curled up in bed (unheated room, in north china in Dec, after spending 6 weeks in SEA, no wonder I was sick). I had a bucket to keep me company that the hostel lady found for me. All I knew is that I had to get well for my trip to "the wall"!!! I did at some point get out to the Olympic grounds and Tienanmen Square but not even sure how I did that, it was a bit of a blur. Thank goodness for pictures :)

So gathering all the strength I could (no food for 2 days) I venture with the crew to the wall, our section was 12 kms long and all steps. It was incredible. Not entirely what I expected. First off you take a chair lift up to the wall.

Then you take a go cart down to the bottom?!?

 

Still it was awe inspiring. Frigidly cold, I had to used my PJ bottoms as a scarf but fashion was not the goal today, it was conquering the wall.

Our last day in Beijing we did some hard core shopping! The Silk Market, now I thought I was a good deal finder/haggler. Well Sarah mopped the floor with me ;)

Poor Dave was such a good sport not only going shopping with us but shopping Beijing, where even the most season shopper can I only handle a few mins of "Pretty Miss, you my friend, I make you good price"

To celebrate our survival of shopping we all went out for Peking Duck, Beijing specialty.

Next Japan, nearing the end :(