A final chapter beginning is the feel to my last day in Seoul. First job is a trip to the local post office and the small matter of posting my armour and various other items back to the UK. The look of surprise on the post lady's face is worth the cost of sending 16kg back to Blighty. With that job done, Jingu's mum and I head back to the flat for a coffee. All packed up, she accompanies me to the tube station and bids farewell. A wonderful hostess the last three weeks.
The subway train trundles to Gimpo airport allowing me to catch the express train out to Incheon airport, the venue for my flight the next day. After confirming everything is go for Beijing, I settle into a hotel nearby for what turns out to be a shocking night's sleep. A little dazed, I head to the airport the next morning and board my Korean Airlines flight to the Chinese capital.
Landing after a deluge, the Beijing air feels fresher than I expected. Customs proves much less tiresome than the last time and before I know it, I am racing through the suburbs on a shiny new airport express train. The equally new subway system carries me round to Hepingmen station and my hostel for the next week. First port of call after checking in, is the company I am traveling with on the Trans-Mongolian Railway next week. Based in the Sanlitun tourist and embassy enclave east of the city centre, they confirm everything is set for my journey. A spot of celebratory lunch and back to the hotel for some sleep after the previous night's tossing and turning.
Refreshed the next morning, I ride another new subway line out to the Olympic Green to the north of the city centre. In a week, the focus of the world turns to this expanse of modern wonders. Although not open to the public yet, large crowds gather taking picture of the breathtaking Bird's Nest Stadium and the equally impressive aquatic centre, covered in bubbles. The site is immense and a sign of the scale is a convoy of unstopping coaches racing past. Full of volunteers, there must have been at least 200 waved through the red traffic lights. Further round the site, a column of soldiers dressed in Beijing volunteer tops, file past at least a few thousand in number. Beijing definitely seems well prepared.
After a morning seeing Beijing's new face to the world, I board another brand new subway line to one of its classic old retreats, the Summer Palace to the north west of the city centre. The vast lake makes a cool break from the searing heat of the middle of town. The summer home to many emperors, it was most famous as the playground of the Empress Dowager Ci'xi, known for her excesses in the face of China's decline at the end of the 19th century. The highlight beyond the lake are the palaces and temples on Wanshou Shan (Longevity Hill). A beautiful view looking back to the haze hidden masses of the city centre.
A short walk from the hostel is Qianmen and the southern limit of Beijing's geographical and spiritual heart. The vast expanse of Tian'anmen Square is bordered by great buildings of communism, the Great Hall of the People and the National Museum of History, with its ever changing collection to suit the current party line on history. At the north is the much older statement of power, the immense red walls of the Forbidden City. With 800 buildings, it makes for a day's entertainment, heading though buildings with names like 'Hall of Supreme Harmony' and 'Palace of Heavenly Purity'. I won't try to describe every last detail but suffice to say definitely worth a look if you are in the area. I finish the day with a walk to the top of Jianshan Park, giving a beautiful view back across the Imperial yellow roofs.
Up early and out on a minibus the next day to the other big draw in this part of the world, the Great Wall. The section I am walking on is a bit further from Beijing and proves to be almost deserted. Stating at Jinshanling, I walk with 3 other English travelers, Harry, Haley and Sarah. Aside from the occasional souvenir hawker, we are left to admire the staggering scenery. The wall snakes along the mountain tops to the next stop of Simatai. Dramatic drops and immense staircases are not for the vertigo sufferers, but the view across the rolling peaks makes it one of the highlights of the trip so far.
Back in the city, I have a day on Saturday seeing the modern side of Beijing. Heading to Chongwenmen, I walk through the mercifully air conditioned malls, the temple for the 21st century Beijing resident. After finding a pair of trainers for the rapidly approaching cricket tour in France, I walk to the ancient Imperial Observatory to the east of the city centre. Originally founded by the Kublai Khan, it was an active observatory until the 1920's, lead by a Jesuit mission from the early 17th century. A series of the old instruments stand on the roof, and a small exhibition in the garden highlights significant moments in the observatory's history.
Scorching sunshine accompanies my trip the next day to the Yonghe Dong temple. This is the centre of Tibetan Buddhism in the capital and acts as both a centre of worship and a propaganda exercise. Originally the home of a prince, it has been a Lamasery since 1744, and includes the largest wooden statue (from a single tree) in the world, all 18m of the Maitreya Buddha.
Walking south, I reach the most important temple in Beijing, the Temple of Heaven or Tiantan. Completed in 1420, this is seen as the high point of Ming architecture and was where emperors would sacrifice animals for the coming year's harvest. It was forbidden for locals to see the imperial procession so the whole city had to lock their doors and windows at this time. Done with exploring, the next day is preparation for the long train ride to come. Up early tomorrow bound for Mongolia.
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