Beijing (to be edited)

I just returned from Beijing and I am having a crush on it! When I walked through the tiny street of my hostel: icy cold air made my breath form clouds. The one floor huts and buildings bashed in red lampion light. Rikshaws and bikes everywhere, street food. Damn, what an atmosphere!

We stayed at far east youthhostel, which is very historic and atmospheric if you stay in the courtyard but that includes outside toilets *shiver*. Opposite you can find the hotel, an tasteless and cheesy new building covered in too much gold, so actually the hostel is the less comfortable but nicer alternative.

Tianmen, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, temple of heaven, hutongs... you know the stuff one does in Beijing!

The Great Wall? I walked it, I was there and if these crazy people could build that thing they can do anything! Absolutely amazing, beautiful, only barely from this planet. Hiking 10 km on it I was kind of glad that it was freezing cold. Partly the wall is very well reconstructed in parts its very run down. We met two Americans who had hiked the entire wall the last 6 months, hardly anyone ever did that. Starting up in the desert in May, they finished on Friday. Most of the way the wall is not more than a line of mud, not higher than a meter. Acording to them all in all the trip was no fun at all, but they did it! Our time with the wall was great and short, we finished by sliding down a rope over a reservoire!

I could have stayed at the Temple of Heaven, staring at the cold beauty forever! Hundreds of retired people were in the park. They played "Chinese Hacky Sack", the dancing-like "Ying-Yang Badminton" (no clue how its called properly). Behind every second tree was a "choir"group singing and making music. Playing cards, Halma or Go on the benches.


I would not mind going back and explore all those tiny little streets. We got dinner in a lonely planet paradis "Pass by Bar"-"Better Travel than dead" and in that neighbourhood was the mongolian SANDGLASS CAFE (Maoer No.1) which we loved more than anything!!!!!!

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