In Beijing!

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Trip Start Nov 13, 2008 Previous
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  Beijing, China
Saturday, November 15, 2008

Let me get you all up to date!  We arrived yesterday in Beijing and made it to our hostel. Let me tell.... Denise has done it yet again on picking the hostel.  It may not be called the "Perfect Hostel" like the one in Paris last year but that is about where the differences stop.  We got off the train and begin our walk carrying our 30+lbs bags to find our "hotel".  It was stuck away in alley.  First I must tell you a few things we saw along the way.  We saw a lady washing her hair in a bucket, mind you it is cold here.  We also saw people hand washing their clothes and climbing on a ladder they had obviously built by hand.  So we are not what you would call in a "nice" area.  As we walk down this small alley to our hostel.  We checked in and was excited/nervous to see what the room looked like.  Very small but at least there were 3 beds and a flat screen. There really isn't a shower in the bathroom the whole thing converts to one because there is just a faucet attached to the wall and water goes everywhere.  So yet again we must make sure that we take towels and our toilet paper out before we bathe.  All and all though not that bad.

So in day one we went to see the Forbidden Palace. It was pretty neat and HUGE.  This place was home to the Emperor in the past and really only became open to the public around 40 years ago.  We walked around and took pictures.  After that we were of course hungry and needed to grab a bite to eat.  We went to a local place and ordered off of their picture menu and me and Denise wanted some wine.  They failed to tell us that the wine was more like gaseoline.  It was 56% alcohol so that is 122 proof.  We poured ourselves a glass and toasted to our first meal!  As soon as it touched my lips the burning started and went all the way down my throat... not good!  I then ate some sorta egg custard.... also not very good.  Imagine warm fluffed eggs when you are expecting something sweet and tasty!

Next was walking around where we went to some street shops and I bought a pair of gloves for $1.  Stuff is so cheap here it is crazy.  We will def be shopping more to get some good bargins.

Back to the "hotel" for some rest before we were going to go out.  We layed down on the beds at around 7pm and passed out we then woke up at 3am because we had been asleep for so long and were wide awake.  We talked some and watched some tv, oh it was also freezing in our room because we couldn't get the heater to work.... (thanks Denise).  Finally fell back to sleep and woke up at 7am to shower and go have our free breakfast (which when they say free that also means you cook your own eggs in a hot plate) and wait for Sally our tour guide for the day to pick us up.

Sally was a little late to pick us up so I was beggining to wonder what kind of planning Denise had done.  There ended up another girl from the Philippines joined us on our tour.

First up the was the Ming Tombs.  Sally's English wasn't the best but we made do.  This place was the burial place for over 13 emperors and has just been opened to the public for around 60 years.

Next up a Jade factory the largest in Beijing.  Something like 60% of the worlds jade comes from China.  They showed us how to tell real from fake and explained the different types.  A little FYI not all jade is green.

Next was lunch which was pretty good, actually best thing we have eaten here so far.  Next was the Great Wall.  All along Denise has promised us that we would take a cable car to the top and walk around and then get to take a bobsled down.  She saw it on the Today Show during the Olympics.  This was NOT the case... As we roll up
Denise immediately asked where the cable car.  Sally just said no, then Denise would ask again, and Sally said no.  This went on for 5 mins.  So by foot it was.  This climb is not for the out of shape or weak.  It was HARD and by the climb down our feet were like jello.

Sally and her driver then took us to a Tea Shop where they showed us different types of tea and how to drink them and what the could cure.  Actually we drank so many I should have great health, long life, great wealth, and  younger skin.  The whole thing though is a big tourist trap because they then take you to the sales room and pressure you to buy things.  Of course it worked on me and Denise.  She was sold on the tea to make you skinnier.  We got out of there together spending $100 on tea and mugs (it changes pictures when it gets hot).

Now is back to the "hotel" where we are just going to prob shower and then go grab some dinner and hit up some local bars where Sally said the locals and out of towners go.

I know I promised pictures but I am having some technical problems since the computer is in Chinese.... so bare with me :)

Well until tomorrow's update..

Nathan

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Tombs	Great Wall	Great Wall	After I made it back down the Great Wall
Our lovely Bathroom	Hard Beds	Outside the Forbidden City	In the Forbidden City
Forbidden City

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