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| The Great Wall |
Arriving in the capital Beijing we had contacted a local via Couch Surfing so headed to his flat to decamp for a couple of days. It was pretty interesting staying with a young professional and to hear his thoughts on the Chinese government, history, issues with Tibet and the world in general. I think Tom left a good impression on him after one evening I headed to bed whilst they philosophised about life and other things.
Tom in the Forbidden City
Quite a grey day but by this point we'd come to accept it was the norm rather than the exception
On our first day we strolled around the huge Forbidden City (forbidden to ordinary people in the time of the emperor) and saw the crowds in Tiananmen Square. For Tom’s birthday we hiked a quiet part of the Great Wall which was so impressive and as Mao said, “You’re not a man until you’ve climbed the great wall” , so it seemed a fitting way for Tom to celebrate his birthday. Along the back alleys (hutongs) of Beijing we hunted down a well-known locals’ place for a celebratory Peking Duck dinner - we devoured a whole duck between us which apart from the fact a duck sacrificed its life for our greedy gain, if we’re honest it was delicious!
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| Security in Tiananmen Sq is tight... |
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| We noticed that Mao is still somewhat a revered figure to some Chinese (especially the older generation) |
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| A gate in Tiananmen Square |
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| Street scene in Beijing |
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| The Olympic park in the Chinese capital |
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| Our day at the Great Wall was incredible (if not a little chilly!) |
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