Arrived on the 6th to the welcoming arms of our long lost friends, Albert, Dan & Nitasha. The days pass quickly with all of the sightseeing to get under our belts. Have been to the Great Wall, an acrobat show, the Forbidden City, Tian'anmen Square and some temples and markets. The real accomplishments have been the food we've eaten--the black horse being the mutton kebabs that the muslim people serve up at street stalls. Peking duck, and our daily dose of steamed buns have been highlights. Our hostel is called The Red Lantern House and seems to be new though the building is quite old and has a beautiful courtyard with lots of lanterns and a little pond. We are settling into the slower pace of a 6-month journey (will just have to watch our bootleg DVD shopping doesn't get out of hand!) and are looking forward to escaping the city. Will fly to Kunming (the capital of Yunnan) on the 12th and will probably spend the rest of the month in that area. Time to head to the hills!
Naomi
