Hi everyone,
Well, Peking (as most people who live here still seem to call it) has been awesome.
The weather started off dismally on Friday - no sign of the Mongolian dust storms we'd been warned of - but we couldn't be certain if that was because they weren't there or that we just couldn't see them through the dense smog.
Nevertheless we decided to make the most of it and put on our best walking socks for a good old slog across the city. We ended up pottering about 8 miles to Tiananmen Square, through several 'hutongs' (traditional housing areas with lots of small alleyways), through Beihan Park and round its big lake, then up the hill in Jingshan Park for misty/smoggy views of the Forbidden City.
The forbidden city looking very foreboding
We haven't risked being transported in one of these yet... poor Pìglet (in the window) looks terrified!
We got to Tiananmen just in time for the ceremonial lowering of the national flag at the end of the day. It's a very imposing place - the biggest public square in the world apparently, and able to hold up to 1 million people (Anna - are you paying attention?!)
Looking north across Tiananmen Square
There was quite a crowd already when we got there but 45 minutes later all that had happened was a few shivery-looking soldiers had come out to stand round the perimeter, and the flag was still up. The changing of the guards it wasn't!
The Chinese crowds seemed to be quite enjoying it though - teenagers were talking photos on their mobile phones and everyone seemed quite content -perhaps partly due to the ever-present police and soldiers keeping an eye out for anybody breaking the decorum...
After an hour or so of this we decided that our legs couldn't take any more so we jumped on the subway home. This was one time when we could actually say we'd have preferred to be at home watching Big Brother (rather than being watched by him!)
Having walked all that way on Friday we had a lazy day on Saturday and decided the only thing we'd do would be to see if we could track down the Olympic Stadium. We found it in the end, but the photos aren't too spectacular partly because it was still very smoggy and partly because the closest security would allow us was about 500 metres away on the other side of a motorway.
The smog cleared and the sun came out on Sunday so we got up early to see if we could finally succeed in our quest to see a pickled dead Commie! After missing out on Lenin and Ho Chi Minh, we were determined not to miss Mao Tse Tung so we got up early and joined the queue at the 'Mao-soleum' (sorry!) in Tiananmen Square and this time we made it in.
Sarah in Tiananmen Square. Spot the Olympic countdown clock in the background.
The truth be told, it was all a bit weird (as you might expect!). The crowds were rushed through by guards barking instructions and grabbing the ocassional person by the shoulder to hurry them along. The Chairman was in a glass case that we passed by in about 5 seconds (he looked a bit waxy to us...maybe they got him from Madame Tussauds) then the second we walked out the room, we were in a Mao souvenir shop full of pens, badges, watches, ties, cups, you name it, all with Mao's smiling face on them. Not quite sure how this ties up with his anti-capitalist stance but "that's progress" as seems to be the motto in China these days.
Southern gate of the Forbidden City with Mao's portrait overlooking Tiananmen Square
We then spent the afternoon visiting the Forbidden City. It was really interesting strolling around the Imperial halls, the old living quarters of the emporers and their concubines, seeing the temples in which they worshipped, and some of the art and treasure that have survived the cultural revolution. Finally we got a real taste of Old China, and it was absolutely fascinating.
People living in the Forbidden City must have been taller in those days...
We were only slightly disappointed that we weren't able to have a coffee in Starbucks - which we'd heard had wormed its way into the Forbidden City itself. It seems that there are some limits to what is deemed the acceptable encroachment of capitalism after all!
Bit windy in the Forbidden City!
On Monday we visited the Great Wall at Badaling, a really fantastic experience and another real 'can't believe we're here' moment. We'd both imagined that the authenticity of the wall might have been slightly trampled under the millions of tour groups that come to visit the open sections of wall each year - however even at the section we visited (which was one of the most popular), you can get a really good idea of the immensity of it, and the effort it must have taken to build it.
It's pretty awe-inspiring to find out that the wall once stretched for 6000 kilometres, and a bit grisly that lots of bones of the workers who died during the wall's construction are buried in the wall - giving you some idea of how hard it must have been to complete all those hundreds of years ago.
Is this how they got about in the olden days then?
We were also lucky to visit on a low season Monday, so it was relatively quiet and we actually had some sections of the wall to ourselves. Which was a relief as we'd slightly under-estimated the intensity of the 'undulating' slopes of the wall and Sarah realised too late that perhaps a mini-skirt wasn't the best choice of outfit when climbing some of the very steep slopes!
On Tuesday and Wednesday the sun stayed out and we visited the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven Gardens. The Summer Palace was built on the orders of the Dowager Empress Cixi with money that was apparently intended to be spent on naval warships! It was very grand and had great views over a huge lake with temples, painted wooden walkways and trees in blossom all around it.
The Temple of Heaven Gardens also made for a pleasant wander around, while we passed away a few hours before heading to the airport. Like most parks in China, it was full of old folk exercising, mainly by practising tai chi or by walking backwards and high kicking. You wouldn't want to meet one of them in a dark alley!
Phil doing feng shui, or something, in the summer palace gardens
We've had a great time in China and the whole of Asia in fact. We'll miss the Asian madness - the amusing signposts and menu descriptions, the craziness in the parks, the 'surely two people and two backpacks can't fit in that...can they'-vehicles, and the the pea and kidney bean flavour yoghurt (which Phil had out of choice - I kid you not!), but we're also looking forward to throwing a ute on the barbie and flaming a gallah...or whatever it is they do in Oz!
By the time you read this, we'll be in Sydney so g'day for now and look out for the next bonza update soon.
Love from Phil and Sarah x x
