Beijing

Thursday

An early-morning departure at 6:30am, and my guide and taxi driver arrived complete with my breakfast in plastic bags. The usual scrum at the airport, and more barging in by the guide to get my tickets. Took an uneventful flight to Beijing.

Was picked up at the airport and taken straight on a day tour of Beijing starting with Tiananmen Square. Saw Mao's mausoleum, and the monument to the People's Heroes. Adorning the square was a large clock counting down the seconds until Hong Kong is to be handed back to China. Wandered past the Chinese Revolution History Museum, the Great Hall of the People and several other large buildings. Wandering past them is no easy feat as the square is huge. Down one end complete with Mao's portrait was the Heavenly Peace Gate leading to the Forbidden City.

Went through the gate and found myself in the city which was huge. You know it's going to be big, but you never appreciate just how big until you get inside. After walking a couple of hundred yards you get to another gate which goes into another sanctum. You keep walking and going through various gates getting deeper into the city looking at the temples and buildings. At the temples you have to take your shoes off and rent slippers to go inside. Eventually after walking miles and going through lots of gates you finally get to the emperor's palace and beyond that to the emperor's garden. A comparatively small oasis right at the back of the city against the rear wall which is out of proportion to the size of the rest of the city.

A really interesting place with lots of history. When I eventually had enough, I retraced my steps all the way down to the front of the city which took a considerable time, and found my guide. Taken to lunch, where again the guides and drivers sat on their own table and left me all by myself. Then it was on to the Summer Palace, Kumming Lake, the Opera House, and the terribly impractical concrete boat built into the floor of the lake so it couldn't go anywhere which was called the Boat of Purity and Ease. Through several buildings and up the hill to the Precious Clouds pavilion. I suppose the Summer Palace is a cool place in summer, but seeing it is only 10 miles from the Forbidden City I don't think it would be that much different.

Taken to an early tea which I really can't remember much about except there was some kind of dancers performing.

After tea I eventually rang Jenny, found her address, and took a taxi to see her at the University. Spent an enjoyable evening looking at her apartment and catching up with how she had been going.

My hotel is only a kilometre or two also from Tiananmen Square, so it is ideally located. Unfortunately, when I wouldn't pay a steep bond for the contents of my room refrigerator, they pulled out a huge chain and padlock to ensure that I wouldn't use it.