Still in Beijing, but joined up on the tour yesterday! So a change of scene if not a change of place yet! All going very well - despite the fact that I am sitting in one hell of a hot furnace internet cafe - it must be 40+ degrees in here, so be patient with any excessive digressions! It's the heat, honest, and not any Beijing pijiu (beer)! :)
I am the youngest person on the tour - the baby I guess you might say! I can see the influence of the grey (or silver?) pound / Euro/ USD on the travel industry! Saying that the people are all very nice, and come from a variety of places: UK, Italy, US and Australia (no French or Belgians, but you can't have everything!).
Today was the first big day on the tour and we went out to the Great Wall of China - it was fantastic! You can check all the facts and figures you would ever need to know about the wall, but the point I most appreciated was the one about how Genghis Khan merely bribed his way past the sentries on his way to Beijing! Corruption, it appears, is not a modern manifestation in China!
Anyway, back to the tour: we went to the Mutianyu section of the wall. This is not the most touristy part, but neither is it the most secluded. It wasn't so bad - once you had negotiated the million people selling water and junk at the bottom!
We climbed up in the scorching heat and humidity and then walked along the wall. It was truly a fantastic experience - and surprisingly not too busy! I may try and upload some photos from my camera for Colin to put on here if I can withstand the heat of this place - it's that hot in here! We're now back in Beijing and will be going to see some opera this evening which I am really looking forward to - and then following that up with Beijing duck: I've done this already, but when in Rome as they say!Actually, on the when in Rome front, I have just had my first experience in a Chinese pharmacy! I have got some kind of ear infection so our Chinese local guide - Jason - took me down to get me sorted with some ear drops. I have never seen a chemist look so confused by a list of symptoms, but I came away with said drops and some Chinese medicine! Hurrah - I was diagnosed as being too "hot" - clearly the case, as some of you know! So I have been given traditional herbs - but in little balls to take! 50 twice a day though! Back at the hotel I tried to take some and got to 10 before I couldn't be bothered carrying on - they don't taste great either! Hopefully my ear will clear up before our ascent into the heavens...
On another "isn't the world a small place" theme - our tour leader, Sam, studied at Bradford University so we have been reminiscing about the joys of getting up to N Floor on the Richmond Building (apologies to those not part of the Bradford alumni!). Last night we also went to see an acrobatics show - it was very good, and some heart-stopping moments when I thought people were going to do themselves some serious "Achilles tendon" type injuries!
Tomorrow's plan is Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, Hutongs and Temple of Heaven, before we get on the overnight train to Xi'an at 9pm! Can't wait for the first train journey of the tour!
I'll update in the next couple of days!
Rob
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