BEIJING

The first thing we did in Beijing was to eat the famous "Peking duck". I don't know what's with my that face but that's the only picca of me with the duck. We went around 3pm and the waiter insisted that we eat "the last duck" they have. The restaurant was supposed to be close after lunch and reopen for dinner.

We find the Chinese really funny when they turned off all their AC and left laiyee and I eating in the very hot restaurant. Halfway gobbling down the duck, they even put out the lights. We were not piss at all, it's afteral our first meal, and we find the Chinese very interesting. :)

Beijing was really HOT. The sun was buring hot. Crazy burning hot. For Beijing, we initially planned to take the four-hour-hike up Simatai Great Wall but was told by the local tour agencies that the Simatai and Mutianyu were closed down due to construction. We didn't want to go to Badaling for we heard that it is way too commercialized and there are just too many tourists visiting Badaling.

Frustrated and exasperated, we then decided to have a beer each, and being a bad drinker, I was all fuzzy and with the sound system on the side of the roads blaring their speakers "Badaling Great Wall, Badaling Great Wall!", we booked a Great Wall trip form rmb 60 each and paid a deposit of rmb 50. DO NOT BOOK THAT TOUR!! Apparently they bring you to Badaling where it is prettily reconstructed and full with boiterious tour groups. They also bring you to another two places, the Ming Tombs and another place but they aren't that nice. Also, they waste your precious touring time by bringing you for "shopping".

Still fuzzy over that one can of Tsing Tao, both of us went back to our air-conditioned room and dozed off. We later learned from other backpackers who actually travelled to Mutianyu Great Wall, so we decided to burn the 50yen deposit for Badaling.

We took a subway to the bus station out of city and took a bus for rmb10( forgot the names of the destinations :( ), and book a taxi for rmb 100 to take us to the Great Wall. The driver waited for us and bring us back to the bus stop.

Mutianyu was niceeeee. There weren't too many people around. We even took the exact same cable car as Clinton up to the Great Wall. Out of so many cable cars. Imagine!

Lucky lucky us! ^^/

The moment we set foot on the Great Wall I got the same chill I felt when I was in Angkor Wat, even though the sun was blazing at 40 degrees. The Great Wall was magnificient and it is hard to imagine how ancient people could have created it.

Some crazy steep steps that could kill. :( I was terrified going down those steps but Laiyee was busy teasing asking me to SMILE SMILE for this picca.

Spotted a bride taking piccas for her wedding album. Mind you, to pose under the blazing sun. Just imagine what women can endure to get a good picca.

Temple of heaven.

Bird nest olympic stadium. There are better, clearer, prettier piccas in laiyee's dslr.

Pangu 7 star hotel. There was a spining Porche beside the bar but it's nowhere to be seen in this picca.

Our very friendly hostel receptionist. Her name is "Travel". :)

The Forbidden City, too many people, overly crowded, we decided to just look at it from the top of the hill in a garden opposite it.

Wangfujing street, they sell geli food. -_- star fish and seahorses. OMG -_____-

Random hawker food for breakie.

Random old man playing the erhu and singing, he was really good. Was very impressed by this old man and donated some money to him. Respected the fact that he's playing on the street instead of begging. TT

Fooling around with a Chinese opera mask.

I didn't like Beijing that much, it was way too hot, crowded, and noisy.

I know it's the Chineses' culture to walk around with their shirts pulled up revealing their disturbing bellies but I guess I just cannot bring myself to accept that.

All in all, Beijing was fine. It's a city with lotsa history and full of culture but comparing Beijing to Xian and Sichuan, I much prefer the latter two.

Gonna end here, shall follow up with Xian and Sichuan.