We're now in Beijing. The over night train was awful. The seats were uncomfortable and people were smoking in the carriage. It made an eleven hour trip feel much longer. The security guard on the train was quite animated and we thought he was funny. Of course we had no idea what he was saying.
Beijing is a very interesting. The combination of ancient culture and modern technology is different from anything we've experienced. We took a taxi from the beautiful train station to our hostel. Even though our room was not ready, our hostel is fantastic. Free wireless, cool interior, great staff and our room has an en suite! I would highly recommend Leo's Hostel.
After we dropped off our bags we headed to Tienanmen Square. Meredith really wanted to see Mao's body, which has been lying in state in his mausoleum for 30 years. We joined what is easily the longest queue I have ever seen. It must have been several kms long. Even though it was moving quickly it still took us an hour to see the old man. It was a strange experience, but I'm glad we did it. We weren't allowed to take any photos, sorry. We took a bunch of photos of the square then traveled back to the hostel for a much deserved shower.
First impressions of Beijing are very good.
We will keep you posted.
