I got up early, planning to beat the hordes, unfortunately I also decided to go to the station to buy my onward tickets. This took a lot longer than I expected and I was unable to get a sleeper for the journey to Xi'an, I got a hard seat! Then it started to rain. I have lost my jacket, I think I must have left it in the wardrobe in Shanghai. my Japanese umbrella is rapidly falling to pieces.
I was not vastly impressed with Tian'anmen Square but the Forbidden City was awesome, I had no idea how big it is, so big that mostly it absorbs the crowds. The only serious crowd was at the Throne Room and, my God, but the Chinese can push.
Gardens in the Forbidden City
It stopped raining whilst I was going around so that was good. I didn't buy a plan and I really should have done, I got completely lost, I thought I would never get out and there were no signs for the exit. By the time I left it was 2p.m. I had had nothing to eat or drink since 7a.m. and I was cold and wet so I decided to wonder up Changan Avenue, where lots of the big hotels are, I thought I might have found a Starbucks, instead I did much better, I found Raffles Beijing, so I went in and treated myself to a coffee. I may not be able to afford a night there but I can just about afford a coffee, it came in a lovely china cup with a plate of biscuits! I had a nice rest, the hotel is beautiful, very elegant, and the service is superb. After my rest I continued my wander up Wangfujing Street, one of the shopping meccas of Beijing. 
Views of Beihai Park
Then I went to find Beihai Park and continued with my original plan, which was to walk through the Hutong of Shichahai and visit the Drum and Bell towers. I walked miles, my feet were totally exhausted. 
Views of Beihai Park Then I went to find Beihai Park and continued with my original plan, which was to walk through the Hutong of Shichahai and visit the Drum and Bell towers. I walked miles, my feet were totally exhausted.
There were, of course, alternative means of transport!
I intended to get the metro back to the hotel but, first; there wasn't a convenient station, then I couldn't find the station I wanted. I ended up walking all the way back.
The hotel had internet and a computer but I couldn't find the @, it wasn't where it was supposed to be and no-one could, or would, help me.
There was a thunderstorm just as I arrived. I bought a ticket that included entrance to various buildings but when I came to the second one I couldn't find the ticket! I thought it must have fallen out of my pocket but when I got back to the hotel I found the wretched thing still in my pocket. 
In the evening I went to the Beijing Opera. I managed to book the most expensive and it wasn't the one I intended to go to. It wasn't a complete opera, but 2 excerpts, done for tourists, the first one was a showpiece for the leading lady, the second was designed to show the acrobatic skills required to perform Beijing Opera. It was very colourful and good fun though half of me wishes I had seen a complete opera done for the Chinese and not one done for tourists but it was good. I recorded a little bit (even though I shouldn't have) see below!
There were temple buildings and loads of inscribed stones.
One building had very old musical instruments but they were all covered in dust. It was a constant surprise when I found any old artifacts, I imagined they had all been destroyed in Mao's time. It is a real shame that those that remain are not cared for.
After the Confucious museum I went for a coffee in a cafe that professed to have internet, it did, but only for those with their own laptops, it was a lovely cafe though, obviously used by expats.
I was impressed by how many young people are religious. The shops around temples are all full of incense and statues of Buddha. At both these places there were exhibitions 'pro-state' proclaiming the virtues of the government. There was evidence of monks at the Lama Temple but they seemed to be being watched, there was evidence of neglect and dust here as well.
I went back to the hotel for a drink but couldn't decide about lunch, it was 11.30, so I went on to the Temple of Heaven. Another day that I ended up forgetting to eat.
There were people singing in the park, I noticed this in Shanghai as well, there are some very talented singers who just sing for their own pleasure. I recorded a bit but got sensitive about it so stopped (see video)
On the way home I had to try a public toilet, something I didn't have to do often (something to do with not drinking enough!) There were plenty of toilets sign posted in Beijing, this one was in a Hutong. It was 4 little stalls, the walls stopped at shoulder height and there were no doors, if I hadn't been desperate I would have gone away, the only thing in it's favour was that the last stall had a western toilet, not a hole in the floor. As usual there was no toilet paper but I was prepared for that but this one had no hand wash basin either. on the other hand it was clean and didn't smell.
Day 4: Easter Sunday, 24th April
Today the Great Wall. I was doing it with Sarah. we had agreed to meet at the bus station at 6.45 for the 07.00 bus, she arrived just after 7! I was getting a bit frantic but I needn't have worried as there were plenty of buses. Whilst I'd been waiting a woman kept trying to persuade me to get the bus to somewhere, eventually she left me in peace when I didn't comply. According to a sign we wanted the bus 916a so we went to the shelter, suddenly this woman reappeared and directed us to the 916. As there was no one else waiting for the 916a we went to the other stop and got to the bus. I don't know where she'd been hiding, she was like my guardian angel, kept appearing from nowhere!
We walked for about half an hour, then we were faced with some very steep steps so we decided to go back the other way.
It was very much busier the other way. We walked for a while, it got a bit quieter, I think coach parties have a limited time.
Sarah taking a photo of Sarah!
I had planned to walk down, to save money, but ended up taking the chair lift down. (I had toyed with the idea of the toboggan as well) At the bottom the street was lined with stalls and people trying to sell stuff.
We found that there was a bus going directly back to Beijing but not till 2p.m. so we stopped for lunch. We were completely done on the price, we each had a plate of fried rice and a cup of tea and were charged 80 yuan. (normal price about 20) I think even by British standards £8 for fried rice is expensive! Then I realised I needed to change some money so I would have change for the bus, so I went to buy a bottle of water, maybe I should have haggled over the price but I assumed that the rate for a bottle of water is fixed, she charged me 20 yuan then tried to do me over the change, she obviously hadn't made a mistake because as soon as she saw me counting my change she handed over the 10 yuan that was missing.
I intended to get the metro back to the hotel but, first; there wasn't a convenient station, then I couldn't find the station I wanted. I ended up walking all the way back.The hotel had internet and a computer but I couldn't find the @, it wasn't where it was supposed to be and no-one could, or would, help me.
Day 2
I intended to go to Chengde so I got up very early and went to the Donzhimen bus station but I couldn't find a bus from there. I couldn't see a bus to Mutianyu either and that was the plan for the following day. so I went back to the hotel to think. A little investigation and I discovered that there is a bus that goes to near Mutianyu so that plan was safe. I checked the bus service again then bought some stamps, booked a ticket for Beijing Opera then wondered down Liulichang Jie, an area that has old shops (rather they are new shops made to look old) afterwards I walked up a very long road full of musical instrument shops.
I was determined to eat a meal so I went into a Korean restaurant. The meal was OK but I haven't got the knack of eating noodles in soup with chopsticks! I was also completely scammed on the price, they charged me 73 yuan for something I reckon should have come to 23.
Then I went off to the Summer Palace, a very nice man started talking to me on the metro, he spoke very good English.
There was a thunderstorm just as I arrived. I bought a ticket that included entrance to various buildings but when I came to the second one I couldn't find the ticket! I thought it must have fallen out of my pocket but when I got back to the hotel I found the wretched thing still in my pocket. In the evening I went to the Beijing Opera. I managed to book the most expensive and it wasn't the one I intended to go to. It wasn't a complete opera, but 2 excerpts, done for tourists, the first one was a showpiece for the leading lady, the second was designed to show the acrobatic skills required to perform Beijing Opera. It was very colourful and good fun though half of me wishes I had seen a complete opera done for the Chinese and not one done for tourists but it was good. I recorded a little bit (even though I shouldn't have) see below!
Day 3
A more relaxing start today. I walked up to the Lama Temple, when I got there there were queues of people and traffic but it was shut, so I went to the Confucius temple first. i was intrigued by the following sign!
There were temple buildings and loads of inscribed stones.One building had very old musical instruments but they were all covered in dust. It was a constant surprise when I found any old artifacts, I imagined they had all been destroyed in Mao's time. It is a real shame that those that remain are not cared for.After the Confucious museum I went for a coffee in a cafe that professed to have internet, it did, but only for those with their own laptops, it was a lovely cafe though, obviously used by expats.
Then on to the Lama Temple.
I was impressed by how many young people are religious. The shops around temples are all full of incense and statues of Buddha. At both these places there were exhibitions 'pro-state' proclaiming the virtues of the government. There was evidence of monks at the Lama Temple but they seemed to be being watched, there was evidence of neglect and dust here as well.I went back to the hotel for a drink but couldn't decide about lunch, it was 11.30, so I went on to the Temple of Heaven. Another day that I ended up forgetting to eat.There were people singing in the park, I noticed this in Shanghai as well, there are some very talented singers who just sing for their own pleasure. I recorded a bit but got sensitive about it so stopped (see video)On the way home I had to try a public toilet, something I didn't have to do often (something to do with not drinking enough!) There were plenty of toilets sign posted in Beijing, this one was in a Hutong. It was 4 little stalls, the walls stopped at shoulder height and there were no doors, if I hadn't been desperate I would have gone away, the only thing in it's favour was that the last stall had a western toilet, not a hole in the floor. As usual there was no toilet paper but I was prepared for that but this one had no hand wash basin either. on the other hand it was clean and didn't smell.
Day 4: Easter Sunday, 24th April
Today the Great Wall. I was doing it with Sarah. we had agreed to meet at the bus station at 6.45 for the 07.00 bus, she arrived just after 7! I was getting a bit frantic but I needn't have worried as there were plenty of buses. Whilst I'd been waiting a woman kept trying to persuade me to get the bus to somewhere, eventually she left me in peace when I didn't comply. According to a sign we wanted the bus 916a so we went to the shelter, suddenly this woman reappeared and directed us to the 916. As there was no one else waiting for the 916a we went to the other stop and got to the bus. I don't know where she'd been hiding, she was like my guardian angel, kept appearing from nowhere!
The information I had said that you pay on the bus but there was a bus conductress standing by the bus who got quite agitated with us, eventually we realised that she wanted us to get the ticket from her, then we were allowed on the bus. We were a bit worried that we wouldn't know where to get off as we had to get off at Huairou and change to a mini bus, but we needn't have worried, as soon as we got to the edge of Huairou there was a man with a mini van urging us to go with him! Don't know if we should have haggled a bit over the price but we did have the van to ourselves and when we got to Mutianyu he managed to overtake several coaches and take us to the cable car!
The wall is magnificent, when we got to the top we walked to the left as that is supposed to be the quieter side, it was.
The wall is magnificent, when we got to the top we walked to the left as that is supposed to be the quieter side, it was.
We walked for about half an hour, then we were faced with some very steep steps so we decided to go back the other way. It was very much busier the other way. We walked for a while, it got a bit quieter, I think coach parties have a limited time. Sarah taking a photo of Sarah!I had planned to walk down, to save money, but ended up taking the chair lift down. (I had toyed with the idea of the toboggan as well) At the bottom the street was lined with stalls and people trying to sell stuff.We found that there was a bus going directly back to Beijing but not till 2p.m. so we stopped for lunch. We were completely done on the price, we each had a plate of fried rice and a cup of tea and were charged 80 yuan. (normal price about 20) I think even by British standards £8 for fried rice is expensive! Then I realised I needed to change some money so I would have change for the bus, so I went to buy a bottle of water, maybe I should have haggled over the price but I assumed that the rate for a bottle of water is fixed, she charged me 20 yuan then tried to do me over the change, she obviously hadn't made a mistake because as soon as she saw me counting my change she handed over the 10 yuan that was missing.
The bus back was packed, fortunately I was rescued by a lovely Spanish lad who asked a french boy to stand up for me!
I had great problems in Beijing over food, I ended up by eating at McDonald's simply because I could rely on the price. I never go to a McDonald's but it was that or go to an expensive restaurant. The only place I could rely on was a little restaurant near my hotel where she charged me 20 yuan for a meal and tea.
I had great problems in Beijing over food, I ended up by eating at McDonald's simply because I could rely on the price. I never go to a McDonald's but it was that or go to an expensive restaurant. The only place I could rely on was a little restaurant near my hotel where she charged me 20 yuan for a meal and tea.
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