Meet downstairs for 10, get some breakfast which I am finding difficult to eat as I am still not feeling 100%. I manage most of it, then we head out to Tiananmen Square, which is just about a 10min walk from the hostel. It's a particularly good day today, blue skys and the sun is beating down. High 20s so a significant step down to what I have been used to, which is nice. As with everything in China, when we get to the entrance we have to go through security and have our bags checked and be wanded. This also has to be down on entry to every subway station, holds things up somewhat. It was pretty cool to be able to walk around such an important political site. From the various monuments to the largest LCD screens I have ever seen, scrolling sights of China. I snap a few photos before we head to the Forbidden City.
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It's very difficult to cross the road here. There are railings along the pavement, and most of the crossing opportunities are underground. So we make our way under the road and over to the Forbidden City. It's quite busy, but the spaces are so large that it dilutes how busy it is. So this area has been the palace for many an Emperor of China before becoming a world heritage site in 1987. It is currently undergoing a major restoration project. The city is huge, we pencil out a route, after battling our way through countless people trying to be our guides, for a 'discounted price' every two steps, another offer. Gets annoying fairly quick, I toy with the idea of getting a tshirt made up in Chinese characters saying 'I don't need a ******* tour!' maybe then they will get the hint. As we walk through the city, every important building, you are not able to enter, instead there are 3 panels opened so you can look in. Of course, these gaps are filled with Chinese, and the only one where you can actually see what is inside is the middle one. When you do get to the front, the room is so dark that you can barely see what is happening inside. I stop battling my way to the front. The city was interesting to walk through, thinking about how they used to live here, and the various exhibits were nice. Though all the display cases we so grubby. The dirtiest display cases I have ever seen in a museum. It's not long before I see why. A group of Chinese run up to an exhibit and press their hands and face against the glass, looking inside. Most of the city is comprised of various buildings and courtyards, with gates, stone lions and cauldrons. To be honest I'm glad when we get out, maybe just a little too long.
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We are all feeling pretty hungry, so the plan? Get on the first bus that turns up and get off when we like the look of somewhere. What else would you do? We stay on for about 20mins and then get off, wander the street and pick somewhere to eat. It worked out well as we get somewhere pretty good, we order up some bamboo, mushrooms, noodle soup, salad and various other tid bits. Pretty cheap too. I wasn't too adventurous as I'm still feeling off. After lunch we wander for another bit, and turn off the main streets, wander down the back streets, see how the real people live. They are all out in the streets, talking, drinking and playing games. Various gambling places we come across, packed with people. The good thing is, because Chinese people stare, you can just walk right up and see what that are doing, just look over their shoulder, see what's going on and they don't even mind. After our wander we stumble out to a lake, and we decide to rent a boat. It was great just to cruise round the lake after our meal, listen to a bit of music, it was good Craic. it started to rain as we were on our cruise. Luckily we had a roof on our boat. After this a Starbucks was in order, and wouldn't you know, there was one straight in front of us.
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A lot of the older houses in China wouldn't have had a toilet, as a result the are plenty of public toilets. These mostly have heavy plastic curtains for you to walk through before you get in, and it's no wonder why. Inside has more in common with a medieval torture chamber than they do with a toilet. Of course, there are varying degrees of facilities, one thing they do all share though, the smell. Even the ones that are modern, like in the airport, where there were even 2 people cleaning them, they stink! I normally take a deep breath and rush in and out as fast as I can!
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We ask for directions to the nearest subway station, and are told it is about a 20min walk. So we head on up the road and the guys stop off to buy some books, haggle city as they try to converse by using fingers to negotiate price. Good fun, Mario is driving a hard deal but the shop keeper isn't having any of it! Was a good bit of banter! We get to the subway station and the guys head to the food market. I'm not having anymore of that, so I head back to the hostel. We all get a few beers and I inquire about the Great Wall. I have done a lot of research, and it appears to be almost impossible not to be ripped off. I look at bus/metro combinations with all the various additional options. So I decide to head to Mutianyu instead of the over touristy Badaling, I ask them to write down in Chinese where I am looking to go. They tell me someone else is going tomorrow and is trying to organise a private car. So I nip over and talk to James from New Zealand. We chat about prices and times and I run it past Purple, we decide to go for it. Meet downstairs at 7.45, sorted.
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By the time I get up to bed, there is someone in my bed again!! I struggle to contain my composure. My towel is also gone! This is a great source of amusement for Darko and Purple, who are both giggling like school girls. I head down to rent a towel explaining that mine was gone. When we get up to the linen closet I see my towel and I point it out. Apparently because it was on the bed of someone who had checked out they confused it with their towel. Lies! All their towels are white! I get back and take a shower before bed. What is going on with my bed arrangements in this place?