Comtemporary Beijing
Trip Start
Jan 24, 2004
1
16
31
Trip End
Apr 01, 2004
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Beijing,
China
Thursday, February 26, 2004
26th February 2004
I take a taxi to the modern part of Beijing city. The Sanitlun Lu. Sounds like a toilet cleaner. I go because Tammy is staying at a hostel over there and we organise a night out. I locate the concrete block hostel and check in to a dorm room containing Nigerian footballers. They are always hanging about the showers smacking their lips and posing , and it troubles me a little. I go walkabout and eat a steaming plate of sausages and mash in a typical expat sort of pub. Though I am finding this part of the city somewhat characterless. Really, I prefer the charming hutongs of the older area far more, crammed with its traditional dwellings and tea shops. Street vendors and sizzling food. That buzz of activity is missing here and I resolve to check out of Lagos-towers as soon as possible. First we make for a walking street of bars and restaurants and begin at Beijing's Irish theme pub , Durty Nellies. Moving from one bar to the next, there is live music at one such place which is unspeakably odd. The hostel imposes a 1am curfew. We are forced to sit in the lobby consuming overpriced cans of beer from a vending machine. What a con.
27th February. I am in a taxi leaving Sanitlun Lu area as fast as my legs will take me. Tammy follows. We chill out with movies and beer then stroll through Tiananmen Square watching people fly kites and trying in vain to sell us postcards. We dine out on street food. Soups and griddled sticks of meat with huge flat breads. And buy a small bottle of the infamous rice wine. It's like drinking petrol. Most likely the same fuel they are using to produce those roaring flares from the barbeque . The next morning we take the bicycles to a hillock behind the Forbidden City and admire the view. A shopping trip results in only the one predictable purchase, a bottle of red wine. And pretty soon its 7am and we are saying goodbye again.
Next ; Climbing the wall
