Zhao'An Hotel Beijing

Die Chinesen sind immer noch keine Freunde...diese Kerle haben uns auch noch Falschgeld angedreht...seit 5 Monaten sind wir unterwegs und das passiert uns nur in China. Eigentlich haetten wir es merken sollen, aber wir wurden gerade durch eine Horde gaffender Chinesen abgelenkt...zum Glueck waren es nur ca. 7$!

Peking hat zwar mehr Sights zu bieten als Shanghai, aber auch hier gibt es viel zu viele Chinesen :-) Auf dem Tian An Men Platz, dem groessten ...

... spotted a group of guys across the lake that were ganging up on one of their friends and throwing snowballs at him. They wanted in so they started throwing snowballs at the whole group. They thought it was pretty funny, and a snowball fight ensued. We recruited a little boy named Yoyo who was probably three. His dad was making a bunch of snowballs, and Yoyo kept taking his dad's snowballs and handing them to Gary and Ned and Eric. Ellie and I just watched ...

... to ourselves. Despite a few short showers, the walk was incredible! Another top day in China, and highly recommended! The trip was also great because we met other backpackers equally interested in obtaining Olympics tickets...as well as some who had managed to get some! The means of obtaining them varied quite a bit: the Germans who had already been to a couple events, had been randomly offered the tickets whilst in the subway system. An English traveler had heard about a website that ...

... to deal with the Beijing "crunch". While we were shopping the mall, we ran into an official UCLA clothing shop. Jack bought at UCLA football t-shirt. I think most of the UCLA licensed gear is made in China. 8/10...Olympic events > Weightlifting (women, 53 kg), Fencing (men, epee)...On our first day of events we went to the main venue location and tried to scalp a few men's waterpolo tickets, no luck. The second hand ticket ...

... the tour groups eat lunch! It's so transparent how quintessential of a tourist trap this is, but I was happy to be trapped. Adam's parents generously offered to buy me a piece of jewelry as a graduation present, so I began to look for something I liked. I selected a beautiful ring that's dainty and elegant on my small hands. Though it's possible, we could have found it in a market and bargained down the price, I like having the reassurance that it's the real ...

... towards the huge gates of The Ditan Temple Park. When we all arrive, our pack splinters....some head to a place to buy street food and souvenirs, but most move to the right and make a beeline towards a ticket window. 10 yuan (about 1.25) and you're in the door. And then, you walk again, packed together with your other follow fair-goers down a very long and even thinner path to the actual Temple. Claustrophobics Anonymous here I come.... Once inside the fair ...

... TOMBS. The Changeling Sacred Way, because all the sacred ways leading to the Mausoleums are branches of this one. It is known as the main Sacred way. It's construction started in 1435 and was extended in 1540. Compromising of Stone Memorial Arch, The Big Red Gate ( with Dismounting tablets on either side) The Changling Sacred Merits and Lofty Virtues tablet pavilion. The stone animals and statues. The Five Arch bridge and the Seven Arch bridge IWU ...

... of the place, we never felt crowded. As I have a ton of photos, I'll just stop and let you look for yourselves. Enjoy! 3 days to go.

... scale, the very idea of it. A look at the faces of my group reveals a mix of fatigue and 'I'm actually hiking the Great f-ing Wall of China...' elation. As we reach the end of the hard half of the walk, our farmer friends (who get no government support or healthcare like city dwellers do) tell us they are turning around since "You ok for last part." "Easy now!" This is just the first of their two or three laps today with tourist groups. No nylon, lycra or ...

... love for tobacco. If I see an ageing Chinese man with a shopping bag, it's usually a clear bag with 2 or 3 large cigarette boxes, probably containing 12 cigarette packs each. Down my road alone there are at least 2 shops which solely sell tobacco, and the rest seem to stock it (lots of shops here seem confused about their trade - just today I went into a phone shop which sold ice creams, and the bookshop next to my school has a fridge with drinks). All the taxi ...