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Word of the day: Yānwù - 烟雾 - smog.
Highlight: Not getting robbed, despite all of the warnings.
Lowlight: Fellow travellers account of the treatment of Elephants in Beijing Zoo "it's a pretty s***ty existence". Won't be funding that operation.
Weather: 3° C, sprinkling of snow dust.
Wandering the streets in one of the most populated cities in the world (over 19.5 million) is surreal and eye opening. Gargantuan brown buildings and old world lampposts c. 1920 line the streets heaving with manic traffic. While English is limited to those in tourism, the many many locals we encounter are friendly and smile when we interact. Standing, posing, capturing every image that takes our fancy - we are officially tourists now. But it's obvious we're foreign. People don't just double take when they see us, they lock their eyes on us until their heads swivel off and we're out of sight.
I feel sorry for the sidewalk. Yesterday a 5 year old relieved him self in a drain in broad day light. Fellow travellers say they saw another child doing much worse in the same way. Locals have no qualms with hoicking, spitting, and projecting the contents of their nose underfoot. I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt and think their motive has something to do with the smog. Still - watch your step.
Dancing with a group of elderly females in the middle of Jingshan Park was fun. They tolerated my two left feet, and seemed to continue the pop-bop jazz-a-size all day. Embarrassing myself enough, we climbed to the top of "Prospect Hill" where the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty hung himself in 1644. What we could see of the view was spectacular, but hidden amongst the smog is a vista of amazing architecture lost on us because of pollution; I'm told is caused by provinces surrounding Beijing.
Later dining at Wangfujing food market, was vender after vender of raw weird food on skewers, waiting to be dunked in hot oil. With every intention of braving the scorpion, cricket or even bird's nest we settled on the sea snake. Not very brave I know, but the worst slimiest, grossest worst thing we're yet to eat. I say yet - Mongolia should be a treat. We did have dumplings, but after being warned not to eat from street vendors I'm choosing to stay blissfully ignorant of what was actually in them.
Rumour has it that workers who died building the Great Wall of China were buried amongst the foundations… walking up it was eerie to think we were walking along an elongated mass grave. Gripping the hand rail to scale the steep icy path, most entertaining was watching the less informed females attempt the challenge in heels. Anything for fashion. We decided it was best to keep up momentum and run, thighs burning in the process. Oblivious to our presence on the wall were two Chinese men taking half naked photos of each other - weird.
Also, (apologies in advance for the following) the toilets scare me. No toilet bowl or seat, just a hole in the ground with feet indents on either side. Fixed into half standing position it means you get front row seats to the show below. Gross. They scare me.
- comments
Paul Brewer Fascinating! And love the pics - sent them to Mum.
Tim Who's Charley?
Krisssy "Charley" is a version of Rich's middle name. And a French Poodle in the John Steinbeck's "Travels with Charley"