We arrived in Beijing on the 4th and got to look round our hotel. China is amazing, not at all what I expected, the buildings are really very modern and seem well built and look nice. Lots of small supermarkets and takeaways, not at all like English ones but still with various food in. The Chinese seem to be very keen on dried fruit, I went up to this pick and mix looking counter only to find out it is indeed pick and mix, but of dried fruit not sweets :O(
We joined the tour after the introductory talk on the 5th at 6pm, the group is very nice there are 10 of us in all. There is Erinn the only American, Tony, Georgia, Lynda, Chris and his sister Melissa who are all from Australia and Rita and Mike from England. Our tour leader is Tracy, not spelt with the E aa ey means something odd in Chinese. Tracy's English is very good as she spent years in Oz and has an Oz boyfriend.
Our first day is one hell of an introduction to China, we go to the Great Wall, after getting up early and a 3 and a half hour bus ride we arrive at the wall. We get to see wonderful views as we approach the wall as well, we are very lucky it is a warm, clear day.
We start at Jingshanling where some of us get the cable car up the hill and others take the steps. Colin and I rather sensibly take the cable car, which is pretty cool a little 2 seater that has definately seen better days, but the views are fab. We then walk 4 hours to Simatai which is very quick as it can take up to 5 hours, so we all did really well. Also we where joined by Rita and Mike's daughter Mia who lives in Beijing and joined us as it is her 30th birthday.
The walk was amazing the wall seems to go on forever and ever, you can see it behind you and in the distance and we walked for a long time and it still goes on and on. The walk was long and it got very hot but absolutely amazing. Also I didn't realise that only some sections of the wall are maintained and so our climb was really hard in places climbing over broken wall and very steep.
Once we reached Simatai there are two ways to reach the bottom another walk or you can take a flying fox over the river and then a boat of course sensible us take the flying fox. It is amazingly high and we dangle suspended in the air by a tiny bit of fabric, we aren't even held on by a proper harness, very silly but pretty cool.
Next day is a free day which we need after the long walk in the heat but we have a lay in and then off to the Temple of Heaven, which of course we walk to. It is an amazing little Temple right next to all these modern shopping centers which are all designer and amazingly expensive as we discover as we have a quick look inside. We then join together for our first meal which is fab, Tracey orders lots of things thakfully none too gross as you can have very, very strange food in China.
The next day we are off to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, it is odd to see Tiananmen sqaure something we have seen so often in the news etc and we are there. The queue to see chairman Mao is incredible, it seem to go on forever I have never seen so many people queueing for something. Especially as we are told by Vivean the local guide that the body was long ago removed and replaced and now it is only his head left, I have to say I find that kinda creepy.
Forbidden city and its gardens is beautiful and is currently being renovated those parts that have been renovated are spectatular, very colourful and pretty. The difference between the renovated and the not is striking though with the peeling and faded paint very visible in comparison.
