Looking terribly excited about sparkling wine in a can!
Apologies for not posting for the past week - it has all been due to a temperamental internet connection and being led astray by my mother. We had an amazing 10 days of travel, filled with lots of great experiences and great stories, meaning that I have many future blog entries tucked away in my mind!
Colourful and comfy train slippers!
Snow at Templeside Hutong House!
Travel to major cities in China is relatively easy, so making a weekend trip to the nation’s capital is a great way to escape Wuxi for the weekend. Last Friday night, I took the visitors to Beijing for the weekend. After much anticipation of the train trip (and the cans of sparkling wine that we packed), we boarded the luxurious train bound for Beijing.With colourful, fluffy slippers warming our feet, we enjoyed an Uberfood brownie and attempted to finish our sickly sweet cans of sparkling wine (not a recommended drink!).
Outside Templeside
Libby finds the much sought after Mao watch in Tiananmen Square
We arrived at 8am on Saturday morning to blue skies, sunshine and some old snow on the ground. After dumping our bags at my favourite hostel in China, Templeside Hutong House, and set off for to see the famous sights of the city.
Passive smoking at the Heavenly Gate
Obligatory 'under Mao' photo
First stop was Tiananmen Square, where we strolled across the vast space and marveled at the huge queues waiting to see Mao’s body. Libby managed to purchase the much hankered after Mao watch and we took photos with Mao’s portrait in the background. Next, we wandered across the Forbidden City where we managed to lose one another in the masses of Chinese tourists wearing red caps and following flags. As we hunted for somewhere to warm up, we munched on the best halva (a Muslim nutty concoction) I have tasted in China. After a super tasty MSG laden lunch, it was time to shop!
Formal and not so formal guards at the entrance to the Forbidden City
Frozen moat at the Forbidden City
Beijing is home to a gigantic optical department store. The centre is filled with hundreds of shops selling spectacles and we were immediately pounced upon as we entered. We pushed our way through the cries of ‘lookie, lookie’ and found the store I had been to last time. For over an hour, we tried on pairs of glasses, had our eyes tested and bargained them down to some super cheap prices. I bought two pairs of prescription reading glasses and two pairs of sunglasses for 700rmb (approximately $140)
Snow at the Forbidden City
Surely it's too cold for split pants?!
Whilst we waited for our glasses to be made (a 30 minute wait as opposed to two weeks in Australia!), we visited the nearby antique market where I was quickly lured back to the stall selling stunning black and white photographs. The market is massive, selling a huge range of goodies including art, jewellery, silk products, jade, silver and some beautiful antique furniture.
Shovelling the snow at the Forbidden City
Bare trees in the Imperial Garden
Of course, Beijing (or Peking) Duck is a must when visiting the Chinese capital. We planned to go to the oldest restaurant in Beijing for the experience, but found ourselves the victims of a tourist scam (more on this in a later post!) and ended up at a small dirty restaurant nearby. After enjoying the Beijing Yazi, we wandered through the restoration of the old CBD, admiring the lights and the facades of the old buildings.
Warming up with G and Ts at the hostel
Peking Duck
Beijing was forecast to have top temperatures in the single figures, so we made sure that we carried plenty of warm clothes and rugs with us. The hutongs can be particularly cold, so we snuggled in for the night with bellies full of duck, ready for an early start to Mum and Libby’s first experience with the Great Wall of China.
The old restored CBD of Beijing (I'm not sure of its name)
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