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I'm afraid that this blog entry will be decidedly shorter then the rest as it seems it takes me ages to type the day by day accounts, there will be some dotted about but for now, your getting a massive clump. Enjoy!
15th - 22nd BEIJING!
On the 15th we had to go and sort out my bank card... again HSBC are rubbish. After more chatting on the phone it all seems to be fine and working, hurray for money.
As we got up late the day was manly for getting our barings and seeing a couple of things. One of which was the Ancient observatory. Which is a building and collection of artefacts that the ancient Chinese used to map the stars. Was really interesting and to see the massive instruments and the museum was good.
Over the next few nights we met up on many occasions for drinking and eating with some people at the hostel.
Mat from Australia
Lolita from Chilli
Emma from London
John from Texas
Liis from Estonia
Joul and Rachel from New York
Simon from Manchester
One night we all (above) went to a Jazz Bar which was ace.
Throughout the week we did.
the Forbidden City day! The place is absolutely huge with massive walls of red all around and plenty of walking.
Went to see the pickled corpse of Chairmen Mao in his memorial hall in the Centre of Tiananmen Square. Was weird but interesting watching the people that surround you as you shuffle through the hall.
Went to the Summer Palace
street food night market which was ... interesting, I had some meat on a stick.
Leo She tea house - There was traditional chinese music and a shadow puppet show.
went to the Lama Temple - saw a massive Buddha!
Confusious temple
The Great Wall - this really was amazing, we hiked up jungle type environment to see the more ruined side of the great wall. I little old chinese man was our guide and we were basically on our own walking the wall, it was fantastic.
20th June
After a massive long walk around yet another massive long red wall we arrive at Beihai Park just west of the forbidden city. On first glance things seem very similar to the Summer Palace. A huge lake sits in the middle with a small island with a massive white marble temple dedicated to the arrival of the Dali Lama in 1673. All around the lake are small pagodas for sitting and it would seem for gathering and entertaining.
These things include a traditional chinese band playing music and a bunch of people singing chinese opera, even some line dancing and Tai Che.
One main attraction is the Nine Dragon Screen which is impressive and used to be part of a wall in a palace near by. Also it would seem that even the chinese like to dress up like there ancestors and have photos taken of them, as I look at the screen a family all in traditional dress stand for a photo.
After some more walking around we end up sitting on one of the pagodas looking out to the lake and watch time pass us by.
21st - Claire goes home
Today was the day Claire left China and went back home, I dropped her off at the airport, we said our goodbyes and I basically just went back to the hostel and sat about all day.
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