Well, we finally arrived in Beijing after a wild ride from Singapore that really left us exhausted. It was rough! I slept a little but fitfully, and dad almost not at all. We rocked in at around 07:14 local and headed through immigration and customs. It was fairly uneventful other than the official in uniform who came flying by on his official Segue vehicle to deliver some presumably important message to another official. Those things are awesome! I want one! For the uninitiated they look like a hand lawn mower standing vertical which you ride on and they stay up by means of gyroscopes.

Were met by a Wendy Wu rep who passed us over to our driver who spoke no English, but delivered us to our hotel after a 50 minute drive in what was basically a dodgem car rally! Emergency lanes are for anyone who considers their errand to be an emergency it seems!! The Red Lantern House is a charming backpacker style hotel in the hutongs (little alley ways). It is a wonderful area and really is a throw back to the old style Beijing life.There were once up to 6000 hutongs but now only approx 2000 as they keep ripping them out to build tenements. Full of ordinary people going about there lives. Vegetable sellers, guys with little stands selling roasted sweet potatoes and hawkers of many varieties.

A short walk down the hutong nearest our hotel and we are on a main street where there are shops of all descriptions but for some reason there are heaps of musical instrument stores. Did a little shopping and found an ATM, and generally got our bearings. All this by lunch time and it felt like 5 o'clock!! I had a snooze for a couple of hours and then we went to reception and managed to locate the sim that I had organised to be sent there by China Mobile, so I am now on the air! Sue has my number if anyone is inclined! Went for another short walk and took a few photos and then returned and uploaded some photos before we went to dinner in the little dining/common room. Wonderful food! Sizzling beef on a hot plate and fried rice with egg, washed down with Tsingtao beer which was 5 Yuan for a 500ml bottle (a little less than a dollar!). The girls who run the hostel are just lovely and were enthralled by my didgeridoo playing koala! Dad gave one of them an Australian penny and halfpenny and she was wrapped! This place is just terrific. Totally charming. Our room is small but adequate and clean, and has an ensuite. However, like Greece, you have to put your used toilet paper in a bin not in the toilet! We even have our own heat pump, which we really need as it is freezing!

Language is an issue and will continue to be in varying degrees. We now know three phrases and will keep at it. Tomorrow we intend to head off to a market which a passenger on our inbound flight recommended. We intend eating in the hostel again tomorrow night so that we can try something else from the menu!! Incidentally, the meal with drinks cost around 75 yuan or approx. $25 - 30 for the two of us!

It is now around 8pm local and dad has been asleep for approx half an hour (excluding the brief awakening due to cramp!) I think it is time I followed suit!

Catch you later.