We went through border control late last night; which wasn't as bad as the Russian/Mongolian experience... this time it only took 4 hours. But. The railway track in China is narrower than the track in Mongolia. So the whole train, each of the 10 carriages had to be individually pneumatically jacked up (with us in it) 10 feet in the air to have the bogeys changed. Fascinating stuff. At 12.30 in the morning.
Beijing is such a culture shock. I have not known anything like it. So modern, Gucci, Luis Verron, Burberry shops, so hectic, everywhere so randomly noisy, incredible tall hotels with pagodas on the top - and a haze hanging in the air that blocks out most of the sun. I went wandering this afternoon, as I do. Alone. As I do. Got totally lost, as I do. Came across a whole street of roadside hot food vendors... still wriggling mini octopus on kebab sticks, crayfish, lots of dodgy looking meat kebabs and lots of dodgy looking sweeet things. The smell was overpowering, but wonderful. Watched a street brawl. Eventually came out at the Forbidden City. Just wow!! Then came out in Tianamen Square underneath the iconic Chairman Mao picture. Amazing! Seemed like a million peope just milling about. And two absolutely enormous LCD screens on the opposite side showing random pictures including desert island and palm trees. Oh my! What?
Went to see a Kung Fu exhibition this evening. And then three of us had dinner down a hutong. Choose your own meat, vegetables and noodles and it's cooked in front of you and served in a plastic bag in a bowl. Tasted just like a chinese curry. And no forks just chopsticks. Culture shock!!!
Going to the Great Wall tomorrow ... OMG!!!
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Note from Mike - Blogger.com is not allowed in China (the infamous firewall) - so have pasted this on Phileas's behalf!!
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