Pe(e)king at BeijinG aka Top O' the mountain: A Wall

Friday 20th - Monday 23rd

The hahalarious digger driver who crashed into the bridge down the line causing our train to stop for a bit then terminate at Guildford causing mild panic (Ali) & shrugs (Neil) obviously had other things than our trip on his mind, the cab expense Guildford-Gatwick was a pain but after too long on planes and at airports we arrived in Beijing via Dubai

Dubai airport is run by pretty young Asian girls sitting behind tills seeing to the wantful whims of countless races. The different shapes and sizes a problem as fashion strays from catwalks looking awkward on the non-models present (ie most of us!) - I'm also pretty sure the trendy young Mid-Eastern lads were trying to be 'Hip' as they sprayed it liberally on in Duty Free, but the bottle was pink; had a label 'Titillation' and defo was a perfume. Almost told them in time hahaha!

Beijing:

13 million people
BIG roads
BIG buildings
BIG city - in fact, you can find BIG in BeIjinG if you look closely enough!.
Officially the Hardest Beds in the World
They are gearing up for the 2008 Olympics - It will be BIG
Nobody speakee Engrish
Anyone who fancies making a few quid could do worse than introduce Bike Lights; Sunglasses......& tissues to the populace

Clean & (Haaawk-spit) green - The city is alive to a soundtrack of horns; engines; unusual dialects and the regular sound of a zillion throats being cleared and their contents projected in the general direction of the pavement - lovely! - We have slipped our way round though and it really is a great and vibrant place (if a little sticky!)

Had duck pancakes - hmmm, seems i prefer the authentic English version of Pekingduck as opposed to the version of it here - & met with our tour group who seem really nice:

Shannon - Aussie tour leader person
Michelle - New Zealander
Nora - Canadian retired ex-teacher
Alan - (from Abingdon!!!) - Mad Hatter! - Also retired ex-teacher
Ali - Devon; works in film location
Robin - Aussie
Andy - New Yorker Attorney
Lori - New Yorker fiance of Andy and works in Court as a minutes/note taker (sure she said she could type 240 words per min.....?)
Terry - New Yorker Mother of Andy
Scott - Northampton; Been in China learning Kung Fu for 10 months (Monkey!)
Tracy - Canadian

Yanjing Beer = Good
Tsingtao beer = Good

First Mandarin learnt:

Ni Hao (nee how) - Hello
Xiexie (shearshear) - Thanks

Spent Monday on a 3 hour clapped out bus journey to The Great Wall at Simatai - What can I say......It was Great.....and.....err.....a Wall......Picture a Great mountain.....Now see a Great ridge along the top.......Now put a massive Great wall on it and x by about 4000 miles......Brilliant! Great views and whilst our tour buddies were walking along it for miles, Ali; Lori & myself chilled out looking at the view (Lazy Moi?) - I cant express how Great it is.......It was really that Great!

Now - my old guidebook says that the wall isn't visible from space! - This is obviously a lie as everyone knows it is the only man-made object you can view from up there. I've known it since someone I went to school with told me that it was, + he heard it from someone who knew someone who knewabout stuff.

Qinshi Huangdi (Chinsee Haangdee) (see also Terracotta Army) oversaw the completion of the Wall during his reign in 200BC though work had begun much earlier (700BC). Built by a rag-tag army of farmers, soldiers, prisoners & unemployed dragon trainers with possibly a few bricklayers as well, The Walls purpose was to keep hostile tribesmen from the North out of China & particularly Beijing - It did a great job as China has been invaded on numerous occasions since.....each timefromthe North! - Nice Brickwork though,very sturdy.

That evening we went to an acrobatic show that was kind of Kids do Cirque du Soleil -also veryvery good.......Highlights a girl who juggled Umbrellas with her feet and jugglers who were about 5 years old and kept about 10 balls in the air whilst tap-dancing (I tried it - It is difficult!)