Langshi Hotel Beijing

... were bird cages with speaking birds, an awful lot of bicycles and tricycles, as many people as you can expect in China, quite a bit of trash along the hutong edges, but also a solid number of modern-looking cars. There were quite a few shops there, selling everything such a community needs, and even if it wasn't exactly such a closed world, it was nevertheless still a genuine China, and to my satisfaction I seemed like the only foreigner in this neighbourhood right now.
We were in no ...

... But, it seemed as if several other visitors disagreed. Most people in our hostel were here for the Olympics, but surprisingly, for many this was not their first Olympics. There is quite a "groupie" following in the Olympics - lots of people go every four years. I can understand why, the Olympics are a lot of fun. We heard a lot of comparisons to past Olympics and a few complaints about how things were done in Beijing. We didn't come with any such expectations (and had already ...

... their bags, including.... fans, t-shirts, hats, food and thankfully frozen water! we couldn't have coped without them! i think we would have all fried to death on the top of the wall without their water- it was so hot! We were very lucky with the weather, because many groups see nothing of the wall because its usually hidden in the clouds, whilst we could see the wall for as far as the eye can see.....it ...

... fabrics, buttons and colors. Defined by irresistible fabrics, "a mix n' match" of patterns, and eye-opening colors, Flora's collections are adored by fashion-forward urbanites from London to Shanghai. "There is not just one look," explained Flora. "I design based on my styles and beliefs - I want to be really out there." The madly mismatched items that make up Tian Art are a sophisticated fusion of intricate embroidery, stunning graphics ...

... people outside the country. Only those people who lived within a few blocks of the square knew what had happened. The Forbidden City was also amazing - 999 rooms inside the palace. We were directed to stick together as a group, as its easy to get lost - and all were given Eugenia's cell phone number in case we did get separated - no-one did. The movie the Last Emporer was filmed here, (theonly movie ever made insde) and now I want to see it again. The ...

Tony was ill all night after the squid. Helen slept through it all. Next morning Tony was still feeling unwell and loathed to leave the loo. Jenny came at 10.00 as arranged, but instead of a day out she took Helen to the station to buy the onward train tickets to Xian and then to do an hour and a half tour of the Hutong ...

... were buses in all directions. Including a hell of a lot of 690 buses which seemed to always come in threes. Getting pestered continually by hawkers and now rickshaws to boot, I tried to figure out where the 826 went (there didn't seem to be any 726 buses). The problem was it only came every 15 min or so it seemed. I gave up after a full hour of going up and down underpasses and round in circles. It went along a major thoroughfare so I headed along that ...

... ever quiet. Beijing is an overload to the senses at all times, and I find it very, very exciting. Since I don't have many people to socialize with here, and the cigarette smoke keeps me out of the youth hostel hang-out areas, one of my favorite things to do after work is walk. I walk for miles and hours with no plan, letting myself get lost and taking in Beijing. You can do that here without fearing for your safety. There are police ...

... chantes. On fait le tour des modèles et après en avoir sélectionnés plusieurs (6) çà négotie sec. Elles proposent 9000 yuan aux touristes mal informés, nous disent-elles, mais pour nous cela sera 7200 yuan car ma 'Maman' habite Beijing et elle connaît les prix. On fait mine de tomber par terre pour ces 720 euros! J'en propose 600 (yuan pas euros.... soit 60 euros vous aurez compris). Après moultes discussions on finit par être d'accord pour 1000 yuan. Encore une fois je me demande ...

A traveler might wonder where to begin in a foreign country that is slightly smaller than the size of the United States with over 5,000 years of recorded history. The wonderful advantage to traveling China is that there is no right or wrong place to start. China's fascinating past is written all over its 23 provinces,* 5 autonomous regions and 4 municipalities. The Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau are also part of China's ...