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Beijing
Still very misty and hot! We had a walking tour of Tiannenmen Square and the Forbidden City, during which every 30 seconds someone in the group got asked for a photo with an Asian tourist! It's really as if we were celebs, and I have to say we were some of the only white people I saw that day! Very odd. We watched an INCREDIBLE drum show in a drum tower where the drums were bigger than the men playing them. The music reverberated through my whole body and I couln't help but smile throughout. I love that feeling!
Before watching an incredible acrobatics show at the Chaoyang Theatre we sampled the delights of lychee beer and pineapple beer... not so sure how I feel about them! Jamie and I took inspiration from the acrobats as we have been trying to decide on a 'party trick' to perform around Asia. A little more practice and we'll practically be ready for the circus...
We visited a RUBBISH silk market- in a high rise building full of tacky products, before stumbling upon an amazing authentic market (beginning with P but can't remember exactly) full of unique pieces of jewellery, furniture, clothing, ornaments, brick-a-brack etc. YES!
Qingdoa
It was pouring down when we arrived but the Hostel and the town were stunning! It is an old German town so it honestly felt like we were in Europe- 'Why is everyone speaking Chinese?' We didn't expect the hostel to have a Western style bar, a sofa room, a library, a snooker/darts room and a CLUB upstairs... albeit with odd little bedrooms coming off the club. Mmmh, best not to ask questions I think!
Thought a visit to see the Lao Shan waterfall and cave would be simply a case of getting on the 304 bus. Oh, how wrong we were. That bus took us to a tourist coach station where we had to pay another £13, and no one on the coach spoke English (or could use body language apparently) so we missed the waterfall completely! When we saw a sign for the cave we trekked 30 minutes up some stairs in the cliff, only to find a shrine carved some way into some rock, containing some dead fish and chicken, and of course... a donation bowl. It wasn't a completely wasted journey as once we were up there we did find an amazing little look out spot and as soon as I saw the coastline I couldn't help but smile!
We eventually got the coach back to the waterfalls... which would have had to have bene pretty impressive to make the palava worth while, but, our reaction was somewhat like the expression on the faces of the dead fish we had just encountered in the 'cave'. As great as the look out spot was, we had similar amazing views staying in Qingdoa so although it was, all in all, a hilarious day out I wouldn't recommend it (unless you like paying to see dead fish or long hot coach journeys with rude staff).
I would however recommend the Qingdoa lighthouse at sunset, where we all gathered to soak up the view of the coast. The 5 beaches (simply named beach 1-5) were great in the day (if you want to sunbathe on soft sand in peace, Beach 3, and if you want to catch a glimpse of 20+ bride and grooms in their full wedding attire having their pictures taken on the sand/rocks, head to beach 2!)
Best Chinese food I've ever had (and a jug, yes a JUG, of beer) for £2.20. Where? I have no idea! It was a rather large alleyway by our hostel lined with tables- a clear favourite of the vast amounts of locals there! The 'plump' host has massive hair to match her personality, giving each of us hugs and kisses and catering to our every need!!
Xi'an
We got the overnight train to Xi'an which was actually so comfy and alot of fun. If peeing in squat toilets wasn't already challenging, try answering natures call in a violently moving train cabin! We stayed at Bell Tower Hostel in the centre which I highly recommend- every inch of every wall was covered in graffiti with v. friendly staff. It was, strangely, filled with local teenagers drinking come the evenings, but this lead to some interesting nights. The more the merrier, I say!
We saw a light show at the Goose Pagoda, went to an even better market than the one in Beijing and of course, went to the Terracotta warriors. Not quite what I'd call the 8th wonder of the world but awe inspiring none the less. Little tip: Students get half price discount on most tourist sights but fear not, if you don't have your student card, you can use... well, anything with a photo on as most Chinese can't read English. Thank you, driving licence- you saved me £8!
We headed to the aptly named 'Bar Street' which had a Western set up but a generous dash of Chinese decor and culture- ideal! I say ideal, the prices (£5/6) made us glad we'd had some cheap drinks back at the hostel, with our new found Chinese mates.
Almost missed our train with seconds to spare after orginally arriving at the wrong station. Another tip: do NOT get in an unlicenced taxi, especially if said taxi has no seats and all 7 of you have to sit on top of your bags before frantically having to run to the real taxi queue with the help of a kind local who tried his best to assist us with body language!
'We will never cease from exploration
And at the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time'
-T. S. Eliot
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