Sunday, May 20, 2012

Beautiful Beijing

Wow, what can we say about Beijing... Ancient Temples, amazing food, fantastic atmosphere - definitely one of our favourite stops so far! Unlike Russia, it's much easier to get around, and even though many people don't even understand English, they are very willing to help and generally we got along just fine.

We visited some of the most famous sites in the world - The Forbidden City, Tian'anmen Square and the Great Wall - wow! We went on a private tour to a non-touristy part of the wall, and we ended up being the only people there! We even spent the night in a tent (indoors because the wind was quite hectic) but still with a view of the wall and got up early to watch the sun rise over this ancient landmark - unforgettable!

The food... Y.U.M.! We ate dumplings, hot pot, weird sosatis and the BEST Peking Duck ever! Definitely some of the most memorable (and cheap) cuisine we've eaten on our trip thus far :)
Colourful, loud, smelly and amazing, we have a feeling this is a country we'll have to visit again!

Jet lag is not just a theory... Ok, maybe it was just too many sleeping pills...
Conquering another Metro!
Just after this pic we got lost... Badly... With a broken suitcase wheel... Ouch feet!
Finally in our hotel, after 24 hours of traveling!
Creepy creatures on sticks! Touristy night market Donghaumen, anything you can imagine skewered, boiled or fried. Basically good for a photo op, not great for good dining.
Live scorpions on sticks! Didn't like seeing the Sea Horses :(
Chinese beer in a Hutong restaurant.

Jing Shan Park, amazing views and vibe! People of all ages dancing and singing in the gardens. We even saw elderly people skipping with jump ropes!

The moat of the Forbidden Palace.
Temples in the park on man-made hills - hundreds of years old!
Hot pot! Delicious - but we're almost certain we ate donkey...
Mao's tomb on Tian'anmen square.
BEST Peking Duck ever at Bianyifang.
The Forbidden City - epic!
Loved these lion statues everywhere!
Imperial Gardens.
Little bustling streets selling everything from live food to computer goods.
On the Great Wall - it's 6000 km long!!
Yes we climbed this! And we were the ONLY people on this part of the wall :)
The view of the snaking wall.

Next stop is Suzhou to visit Irene and Rihann - the only family we'll see during our six wee trip :) Onward to the rest of our Chinese adventure!

Location:Beijing, China

1 comment: