Beijing - Day 1

Yep, that's right. The trip was so freaking amazing I need to put each day into separate entries. I have to admit it is mainly because I took so many pics. Over 100, which is sort of out of character but I think with this blog thing I am always thinking about how to show y'all this experience of mine and words dont describe it all the time. Mind you, nor do pictures...but they sure help.

Beijing was amazing! I wont lie, I like it more than Suzhou. The problem is the pollution. I dont think I would have comfortably lasted more than the 4 days we spent there. But other than that it was mind-blowing beauty coupled with heart-melting friendliness. Mix in a lot of spitting, smoking, and peeing in the streets...and you've got what is touted as China's most beautiful city!

We took a night train from Suzhou. It left at 9pm and got us in at 7am. Well rested, we dropped off our bags and proceeded to explore. ('we' being Gina and I, a coworker of mine...the feminist American girl i have mentioned before... do you also find it funny that this feminist has a name that involves the last four letters to vagina? Just thought I might mention it...) But I digress, as usual.

Our hostel was about a ten minute walk from Tian'anmen square. Logically, we started there first.

Build in 1958, this is the largest public square in the world as it is 63 soccer fields from end to end. This building is the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao and it borders the South end of the square. Mao's body is lying in this building and apparently thousands of Chinese make the pilgrimage every year to see his body. We passed.

Yes it was busy there. Mostly because of the National Day holiday. Walking North through Tian'anmen, you go past all these other important monuments (not to sound disrespectful but I doubt you guys want a history lesson) and finally get to the Forbidden City. This place has got some cool history and the architecture is gorgeous.

The forbidden city was closed off to the world for over 500 years. This 10,000 room 'home' took 14 years to complete. Apparently all the rooms were needed for the hundreds of concubines that the emperors are rumored to have kept. Along with many concubines, 100's of eunuchs worked throughout the city and lived within the palace walls as well. Maybe obvious but the emperors made all the male help into eunuchs so they wouldnt have to worry about them being deviants with all the concubines. We didnt go into the forbidden city. After all, it is just some rich guys old house. But from the outside it looked pretty cool.

From Tian'anmen we headed to the Temple of Heaven. It is another one of those Beijing landmarks you have to cross off your list.

This beautiful little girl is seen in front of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest. That's right, in 1420 they built this entire huge city (4 times the size of the Forbidden City) and temples (which represent heaven and earth) just to pray for food. The roofs are blue on all the buildings to symbolize heaven.

This Gold Digger (as the shirt implies but fortunately/unfortunately history seems to disprove) is also standing in front of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest. Many rituals were performed during the winter solstice at the Temple of Heaven and it was last used in 1914 for it's original purposes.

In between subway adventures from one great monument to the next, we bumped into this French Canadian (I  know, I know...) named Medin. She was traveling alone and it was also her first day in Beijing and she asked if we wanted to join her for Peking Duck (considered a 'must do' in Beijing) so we set a date to meet with her later in the day.

The problem is that restaurants are so easy to find in a map and a guide book. But apparently Beijing is a hell of a lot bigger than it looks on a map. Go figure. And Medin HAD to go to this specific restaurant. Go figure. While Medin and Gina sorted us out, I took pictures.
 
A few hours later (no exaggeration) we finally found the restaurant and Medin and I, in typical Canadian fashion, had a celebratory beer! No matter how long I live in China, I will never get over how cool it is to be able to drink anywhere.


By the end of that meal all three of us were struggling to keep our eyes open. The duck was ok but certainly nothing to walk three hours to look for. I'd have been happy just drinking beer in the streets all night. But you live and learn. After another few hours of walking, getting shut down by three cab drivers in a row (they dont pick you up if they have to turn around or they dont know the street you are on. And most of them can't read even our chinese card so unless you pronounce it perfectly, they kick you out of the cab) we made it back to our hostel beds in one piece. Oh, here is also where I mention that I blew my budget for the entire trip on this first day....ooops. The good news is my Christmas shopping is done!