Day 3...Beijing
Thank the Temple of Heaven for traditional culture.
12.01.2007
1 °C
Today is my last day of sleeping in as our tour starts tomorrow, feeling slightly better with the jetlag although I still didn't manage getting up for breakfast - have to stop being so lazy!
We have switched hotels today, half the price of our first place, so it definately helps to shop around. One aspect that makes it so cheap is the rooms lack of windows - which isn't actually as bad as it sounds - especially as it is so cold, all the heat stays in the room.
Went to Tiatan Park to visit the Temple of Heaven today. It is a wonderful, traditional place filled with colourful decorative temples, and people playing card games, Hackey sack, singing, dancing - it is a real social meeting point and most definately worth a visit for the atmosphere alone. Between the temples there were wonderful parkways/walkways which you could spend days walking around and still not walk them all. The views over Beijing were phenonomenal from the temples, it is difficult to grasp actually how big this city is.
Afterwards, we headed to a hutong area (old markets) in Daizhanlu - It is the largest hutong area left in Beijing. It was hustle and bustle with neon lights, traditional style buildings, people buying, selling, screaming, shouting, and haggling. It is one of the most genuine areas in Beijing. Unfortunately, it is surrounded by boards with pictures of malls implying they are going to be built in this area - but there are too many malls in Beijing as it is. This is something that is happening all over the city, and I feel that there is not enough apparent heritage or traditional culture left unless you pay to see it.
A quick update on the chopstick situation - I managed to get through most of tonights dinner using them, Dom has decided the aim is more important than the means meaning eating dinner successfully is more important than how he does it; he uses a spoon.
Our tour is starting tommorrow, hopefully should be fun, no activities planned for then but we are going to the Great Wall the day after - can't wait!
Team Domro
Alright DomRo. Sounds like your havin a great time. Hope you are anyway. Thought i should say happy birthday to the Dominator too. And tell him to remember to do his Father Ted gag at the Great Wall. Talk to ye later(probably). Luke.
P.S Roisin should write a book.(Not being sarcasticfor once.)
16.01.2007 by hennesl4