We arrived in Beijing this morning a 7.17 on a non stop, fairly new train, bathrooms pretty good and a TV at the end of each bed with head sets. There was a Chinese film with English subtitles.
The crowds at the station were unbelieveable, all bags go through detectors like airports but it seems to work. We then visited two temples and Tienamen Square, which I found quite moving. The crowds are incredible but possibly normal, tourists and locals. We then went to the narrow streets of the old part of the city and were taken for a ride in a bicycle rickshaw and visited a house in that quarter. As there is no sewage people use public toilets.
Then more exercise as we climbed 69 steps up another bell tower.
The final feat was going to a local supermarket to buy provisions for 5 meals on the train to Ulanbaator on Tuesday. Trying to read the ingredients is a challenge but some items have it in English. The building was a rabbit warren, lots of people of course but extremely helpful shop attendents who kept offering to help whenever I seemed confused, which was most of the time. I bought bottled water, milk, yoghurt, 2 tins of fish, packet noodles, bananas and a pear for about $7.00. It made French hypermarts a breeze but there was heaps more help offered.
Tomorrow the Great Wall
The crowds at the station were unbelieveable, all bags go through detectors like airports but it seems to work. We then visited two temples and Tienamen Square, which I found quite moving. The crowds are incredible but possibly normal, tourists and locals. We then went to the narrow streets of the old part of the city and were taken for a ride in a bicycle rickshaw and visited a house in that quarter. As there is no sewage people use public toilets.
Then more exercise as we climbed 69 steps up another bell tower.
The final feat was going to a local supermarket to buy provisions for 5 meals on the train to Ulanbaator on Tuesday. Trying to read the ingredients is a challenge but some items have it in English. The building was a rabbit warren, lots of people of course but extremely helpful shop attendents who kept offering to help whenever I seemed confused, which was most of the time. I bought bottled water, milk, yoghurt, 2 tins of fish, packet noodles, bananas and a pear for about $7.00. It made French hypermarts a breeze but there was heaps more help offered.
Tomorrow the Great Wall
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