Saturday, June 28, 2008

Back in Beijing

18/8/08
Awoke early due to the Chinese couple in my area of the train deciding to have breakfast at 5am! Couldn't get back to sleep. Arrived late into Beijing probably around 7.30-8am. Waited for ages to get a Taxi and got yet another one that could speak no English but mumbled away to himself in Mandarin. Arrived at the hotel at 8.30am ish and had to be set to go again at 9.15am to go to the forbidden city. Forbidden city - mama whowho (so so). LOTS of Chinese tourists and had to push our way around quiet a lot. Not really that exciting and in a bad mood after Eric made us walk hideously fast to the place (the blood clot in my leg was really bad at this stage!). After the Forbidden city we walked across Tienanmen square. Again, not that exciting. Did see about a dozen women scrubbing chewing gum off the pavers in the square. The rest of the group minus Gail, John and I went to a restaurant for lunch (at 3pm) but I needed sleep after a bad sleep on the train. I had a snooze and just chilled till 6pm. At 6.30pm we met again and some of us went and saw an acrobat show (180Y) which was in an old theatre but very well done. You could buy popcorn and sprite and sit in armchairs. It was apparently the Beijing Acrobatic troop. After the show we walked back to the hotel and then had pizza in the 6th floor restaurant. Off to bed at 10.30pm ish.