Beijing pictures

Pictures from Beijing la!

Inside a guard tower on the Great Wall. (which really is great by the way!)

My great head sticking out of the great wall.

This is me and Nicolas inside the Forbidden City in central Beijing.

Without him being the guide I would have been lost without a doubt, it's a confusing city, especially if you can't speak the language!

Me at Tiananmen Square with the entrance to the Forbidden City behind me

A closer look at the entrance with Mao overlooking things

Speaking of which, here is some very patriotic Chinese graffiti

Me outside the gates to the Temple of Heaven with a couple of big knockers.

for a fraction over 1 quid you can eat an entire turtle at some food establishments. I'm sure the taste is 'unique'.

Whilst on the subject of food, anyone for duck? The two bits of meat on the head are taken from inside and are meant to be the best bits... yum.

Overall my impression of Beijing is hugely different to what i expected. It had far more modern western elements than I imagined. I walked past a Wall Mart, a Gucci store and loads of other similar western establishments that I never thought to see. Having said that, it is the first time in a while I have been in a country with no substantial colonial influence to its history. I can't begin to explain how much stuff I learnt and how interesting the city is. What i do know though is that if I visit there for the 2008 Olympics (which is my plan) the city will have changed vastly. I'm not joking when I say the entire place is being torn down and rebuilt ready for the games. It is changing things from taxi drivers having to learn English to the skyline of the city itself.

I need to write a big thanks to Nicolas who was my host and guide in Beijing. I know he reads this little blog so I have to say thanks to him for everything. Nicolas and his family friends were very welcoming and he was a brilliant guide in what could be a very confusing city. I know that without his local knowledge my time in Beijing would not have been half as worthwhile so. THANK YOU NICOLAS!!!

bx