Cycled from the Hotel in Tianjin to Tanggu station, 14 km with many detours because of cycling prohibited roads, and thundering juggernauts. Weather a bit on the warm side, 10-12 degrees. It was a bit like, I imagine, a cross between Los Angeles and Seoul. Sprawling, with the occasional startling building and smog. I couldn't follow the planned track but navigated along parallel roads and reached the station, where a crowd watched me fold and pack up.
High Speed Train to Beijing. Ticket from an automatic machine in English, X-ray check into station waiting area, then 40 mins wait until called for train. We were on the train 15 mins before it left, it was full. No space for the bike, there is no large luggage space, it ended up in front of my legs, and the half the space of the poor lad next to me. I was very apologetic. The train took 45mins and reached 302km/hr. Beijing South didn't seem as big as it looks on google earth. I unpacked the bike downstairs again to the great curiosity of people around. A large number of 20year old lads crowded around me as I left the top of the escalator and fitted and switched on the GPS got a great deal of encouragement, ironic?, as I left. Cycled 12 km to the hotel mostly along the track plotted on Google Earth, I went along the West of the Temple of Heaven rather than the East. Cycled around one of the older Hutongs on the way. Checked into Hotel also in a Hutong district, am typing this on a hired computer in my room, I can't believe it is one pound per day. Cycling in Beijing is relatively easy, bike lanes and cyclists everywhere, big junctions can be a bit of an ordeal but I wait until a group of cyclists are moving and follow. The weather was far too hot the train was recording 15 degrees and it was at least that in Beijing that's 15 degrees hotter than I expected, needed a T-shirt and trainers.
Walked almost to Tianmin square this afternoon, its Sunday so maybe that accounts for it being markedly quieter than I expected or maybe its the holiday not quite over. Surprised by the subway, its small, looks like its for Newcastle or Glasgow not Beijing, perhaps they looked at London Underground or the car makers had a hand in designing it. I guess each train holds about half what a Seoul subway set does.
