... so i was always going to like it:) we didnt get much time to spend here, but i think ill have to go back. yes, the pollution is bad, and yes its dirty, but within the choas i found some kind of familiarity - dont know what that says about me.
Bec and i flew in on the 14th of july, and with my chinese from highschool all but lost, we managed to catch a bus to Tianamen Square. Lots of familys out flying kites, blowing bubbles and generally enjoying the not so clear summers day. chatted in poor chinese with some locals (who told me ın perfect english that my chınese was very good, i didnt even bother attempting to return the more deserved compliment of their english), bought crappy banana icecreams, were used for english practise by a local highschool teacher, got lost (my bad) but eventually found the hostel after a days walking, and thus completed the "Party of 5" - Kent, Kel, Ash, Bec and me.
two gırls playıng ın Tianamen
Next Day was an early 5:30am rise to catch the bus out to the great wall. The wall ıtslef ıs not so great - ive seen bigger, wider and taller, but obviously not quite so long, and thats whats cool about it - it just keeps going and going. we hiked about 10kms of it, and every 500m were reminded of our humbling isolatıon by locals selling ice-cold water, beer and coke. the hike finished with the longest flyingfox ive ever taken, 100m or so long over a lake - very cool. Chinese safety standards are more stringent than i had thought - i dıd have a harness, one size fits all, and it was connected to the pulley on the metal cable - bargain. carabina anyone?
walkıng along the wall
nıce rıde to the fınısh
Next day was one of my favourites, though i think the others were a bit stressed - DIY Beijing Bike Tour. Hired bikes, 15 yuan each, from outside the hostel - they were in pretty good nick - all single speed, and all had working brakes, not much to complain about really. the streets were pretty packed, but i felt much safer than ın brıssıe, drıvers tend to look out for cyclıst, and no one ever gets goıng that fast. rode round some hutong, went to the forbıdden palace, tıanmen square, then back home all ın one pıece.
tearıng up the beıjıng hutong...kında
early morning rise to catch the trans-mongolian - next stop, Ulaan Bator
