Beijing - City Centre - Day 3 4 (January 19th & 20th)

I dont know where to start. To control any ranting, I am simply going to bullet point my feelings on Beijing:

• Pollution - unbelievable
• Nosebleeds - from arriving to leaving - pollutions fault
• Manners - appalling
• Spitting! In streets, shops, indoors, restaurants, at your feet!!
• Traffic - makes London look empty
• Trying to cross roads - impossible
• Almost getting killed everyday from crossing roads
• Metro - makes the Tube seem empty and a joy to travel on
• Weather - below zero
• Shop keepers - mean, scary, intense
• Getting train tickets - impossible. Its a scrum everyday with peop[le fighting for seats.

The above is my list of Beijing lows. It wasnt all bad when I think about it. See below for Beijing highs:

• Warm, friendly hostel
• Learning Skype
• Eating scallops
• Claire getting accosted by Minnie Mouse (this really happened - and a picture will follow soon)
• Being best friend to the stars for 2 days (it seems Claire is a celebrity in Beijing - everywhere she went people took her picture! Actually stopping her to take pictures with her! Hilarious)
• Hitting a very rude woman (who trampled on me) with my backpack in Beijing airport - small victory.
• Eating proper Beijing duck.
• Watching Claire trying to eat Beijing duck.
• Getting a ride to Ti an men in the smallest car known to man by one of the happiest people I have ever met in my life.
• Delicious chilli oil in Beijing airport
• Eating marzipan chocolate in Beijing airport
• Rediscovering Belinda Carlisle in the boarding lounge
• Flying out of Beijing to Chengdu.

All in all - was definitely an experience. First day we eased in with shopping at the Silk Market. Second day - We went to Ti an men Square and the Forbidden City - which was kind of interesting, but a bit too cold to enjoy to full potential.

Onwards - to Chengdu.....

xxxx