Day Eight

Seoul to Beijing

Early to bed early to rise makes young people healthy & wise! 8.30am & already on the bus heading for Incheon Airport if it was anything like coming to Seoul we was in for one long bus journey. Arriving at the airport didn't take too long but oh my god the cold winter weather had set in! I don't think there was any clothing left in my rucksack because I was wearing them all!

Bags all checked in & a Burger King thrown down our necks (literally) we headed for the duty free. We needed to find a souvenir to take with us, it had too be something small. After entering the perfume & cosmetics section of the duty free (I know we can't take them types of souvenirs but we can look & dream) & coming out smelling like a prostitutes handbag we had acquired a fridge magnet & Andy got a badge to add to our round the world collection of things.

The airport is that big & there is that many shops you would need to arrive at least 8 hours before your flight just to do the duty free. We had to jump a train to our boarding station in order to reach out plane it was that big. Sitting around & waiting to board for Beijing we could notice the difference between the Koreans & the Chinese. On the plane & settled for the flight, not to moan or anything but this wasn't as good as the plane to South Korea from Tokyo.

Flight over & on Chinese soil time for immigration. It's a lot more scarier than the other places we have been. The immigration officials proper check you out, they put your passport to your face & everything - they even look mean & if they ever cracked a smile their face would break.

Heading for the airport shuttle bus & with are tickets bought the bus arrived after a short wait. We placed our bags under the bus in the hold only to be told to take it on the bus with us - how annoying?! We knew from then that it was going to be a tight squeeze. With people & luggage being shoved on the bus there was a young man on the outer seat with his bag keeping the other seat warm when an older Chinese couple got on & there was no seats left apart from one at the back & the seat next to him with his bag on. After a long period of shouting the man got up & whacked the old lady with his bag & then forcefully shoved her in to the seat! It was appalling behaviour & from that second our 1st opinion of China was tainted. More & more people got in with suitcases piled high in the aisles we set off heading for Central Beijing.

The bus journey was quite comfortable apart from a man behind constantly snorting & making disgusting throat noises. Off the bus on a very very busy street called Dong zhi men we waiting for another bus. When the bus arrived it was crazy - we got on at the front & stood like lemons trying to figure out how to pay as the bus driver wouldn't take our money. After being tapped on the shoulder & pointed at we paid a lady in the middle of the bus who had a microphone & was shouting god knows what all over the bus, just madness! After we had gone a few stops the bus was getting a tight squeeze, everyone packed in worse than sardines, we could hardly breathe & we still had to fight our way off the bus.

At the stop we got off for our hostel there was a McDonalds so we knew no matter how bad the place was we could still get some semi decent food. Arriving at the hostel was easy & the instructions & direction to the place were good. We entered the doors in to the big reception & we were greeted with a warm welcome. We handed over our passports so that we could check in. Our room was clean & comfortable with a big double bed a light but not much else. There are shared facilities, so separate men & women shower rooms & toilets but shared washrooms, a nice Internet cafe & lounge area to chill out - overall not a bad place.

As we came back down to reception we noticed that there was a tour guide man who was helping other people in the hostel so we went over & spoke to him. He was the 1st Chinese person we had met that had a sense of humour & could understand us properly. He was extremely helpful in advising us what buses & trains to get & places we could sight see around - a genuinely nice guy.

Back in our room we were shattered & planning what to do for the next day. No decisions were made & we just conked out asleep.

What's the plan for tomorrow then - who knows?..........