Anyways, I arrived in China and was instantly overwhelmed. While some stuff is written in English, the majority is not, and navigation is quite confusing. Maps aren't particularly helpful either, as only about 1/3 of the streets are labeled on them. Luckily, Beijing's subway system is excellent, so I was able to get to the general vicinity of my chosen destination without much trouble. (another fun fact - the subway in china is ALWAYS crowded, no matter what time of the day you're there, as opposed to Washington DC, which is only crowded during rush hour. Also, it's perfectly acceptable to bump/shove people while trying to get in and out of the subway). However, as soon as I got out of the subway, I was immediately in trouble. Thanks to a dodgy Lonely Planet map I wandered for about 30 minutes looking for my hostel, but at least I found it eventually!
I spent the next week exploring Beijing, and it certainly has a lot to offer. I was able to meet up with several friends in the area (former coworker Max, and old college friends Vinny and Andy). I did the requisite Great Wall trek, saw the forbidden city, explored the Olympics area, and much more. But rather than just blab on an on about it, I'll show you pictures - enjoy!
while this "squat toilet --> western toilet" converter might look like a good idea, I can assure you it's not. Funny, though!
Yay Olympics!! Bring on the games!! Where's Michael Phelps!?! Wait, what's that? The Olympics were in 2008, not 2010? Hmmmm, I guess that explains the relatively small crowds. Oh well. That won't stop me from posing by all the cool Olympics buildings and pretending it's 2008. . .
probably my favorite Olympics building, the water cube. Apparently it was recently converted to a giant water park, but I didn't have the chance to check it out (given the massive crowds at al the tourist sites in Beijing, I deduced that there would be gigantic lines at the water park, and that isn't exactly my idea of a good time).
chilling on the great wall with college buddy Andy whose visit to Beijing overlapped mine
I declare myself king the wall!!! Just like "king of the hill" in middle school. Except that I'd really appreciate it if no-one tried to unseat me 'cause it's a bit of a steep fall from my perch on the wall. . .
me magically pouring a giant, endless teapot
who's in the mood for scorpion on a stick!?!(answer: me)
while the pollution might not be so fun to breathe in, it does make for a pretty cool picture
snapshot of daily life in China - locals crowded around a boardgame
this is a very typical scene on the Beijing subway. It is always crowded. And no, this is definitely not rush hour - during rush hour I wouldn't even have enough space to lift up my arm to take this picture. . .
they certainly like their kites in China. This one is being flown at the Summer Palace, and the guy flying it had a 1 kilometer reel of string, and was actually attached to the reel with an over-the-shoulder harness thing. As I said, they don't mess around.
artsy shot of a brick wall
the forbidden city is popular!
me 'n Mao at Tianenmen square
Brick wall... very cool picture! I like the watermelon tree too
ReplyDeleteWhere did you get the toilet converter?
ReplyDeleteIt was at a hostel I stayed at - but honestly, I can't say I'd recommend it. More of a novelty than anything else
ReplyDeleteThose toilet seats are normally for the elderly or infirm who can't squat like they used to. Funny to think of it in a foreigner hostel too!
ReplyDelete