China 2
Was trying to decide whether to just update previous post, or make a new one. Opted for this, because then people can see it's updated! ^_^
Day 3: Beijing, Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City
In all honesty, the reason I took so long to write to third day was because I'd forgotten what we did. ^^; It's all a blur, what can I say?
Anyway, we'd arranged the night before to meet at the hotel at..2pm or 12pm, I forget which. Which meant we could sleep in for a while, a nice way to recover from long flight. All the students went with Chinese teacher to buy a simcard for our phones (in total, 4 out of 7 had a useable phone..well actually 5 but the 5th didn't realise until like the 3rd last day). We stopped on the way back to look at some fruit for sale, and I got a dragonfruit..needed to buy something. In the end, it was alright, but tasted like it should have a lot more flavour. Then we went back to the hotel and I studied like a good girl while everyone else explored the hotel and got freaked out by some corridor - don't ask, I don't know.
I also tried arranging to meet up with my mum's cousin in Beijing in Tian'anmen Square, but her phone wasn't working so it didn't happen. The actual square wasn't really that interesting, apart from the huge Friendlies display, but lots of vendors selling lots of kites. I succumbed and bought one, which ended up being Elio's b-day pressie.
The Forbidden City was still under renovations (as it was when I went in 2004), and it meant that one of the main buildings were inaccessible. Surrounded by a huge green mesh, it was. It was rather amusing though, they've gone and put up a lifesize picture of the building so that it looked like it was still there. Pretty gardens were at the end, but it's a long walk, so we were only half in the mood for them. When I get photos I'll see what I can put up.
Day 4: Ming Tombs, the Spirit Way and the Great Wall
Alright, time for a final update on China!! I'm really getting the feeling that we did something else today, but maybe not. I think that day was a really hot day, so we were all grateful to get into the nice, cool, underground tombs for an hour or so. Climbing down there was rather scary, it wasn't steep or anything, it just kept on going down..and down..and down. It was a bit of a worry about how long it would take to get back up again (for me anyway) but it wasn't a long climb up at all (different staircase). Umm, so how were the tombs? I think we had to keep moving quickly, but was still good. Maybe a bit boring? I don't remember. I know, mainly from the photos, that a lot of people threw money into the main tombs. I think there were some beds and chairs as well..we couldn't sit on them obviously, but someone took photos (I think).
From there we went to the Spirit Way, and luckily we got an electric car to go down it or it would've taken aaages and we would've been so dead for the Great Wall. We did stop to take pictures, and Shuf got a great video of Kai and George spending ages trying to get up on one of the elephant statues. Didn't think they'd be able to do it until they did do it. Anyway, we went to this resturaunt for lunch called the "Friendship store" and the food was fine, just we got the same thing everywhere else. Also had some cloisonne stuff and carpets, palm paintings, snuff bottles, whole bunch of artwork for sale really. Bought something there, but since it's someone's present and I haven't given it to them yet, I shan't say who it's for or what it was ;).
The Great Wall - I know what happened here, because my memory card ran out here and about 20 of the photos I took were stored in my internal memory for the rest of the trip. We took a cable car up the first part, and I think there was some sort of animal in the bush we were looking at, but I didn't see it. We went to the Mutianyu section of the Wall, because it's not so tourist-y. Shuf and I took our time going up, so we were almost the last people to make it to the top..hehe but nobody else got photos of a donkey. The stairs to the top of the tower at the end though were so steep! Was bad enough going up them, I sat on them to go down them for safety reasons. The real Great Wall continued further on, but it hadn't been refurbished or anything so we couldn't go on it. Fantastic view around there though! We didn't buy a ticket for the way down though, so we had to find our own way down...lol, we nearly went down the wrong path and got lost. There was a taboggan there as well. Wanted to go on it, but the cost didn't cover it and we hadn't any time :(.
Change of plans, Days 5 and 6 can be in a new post..this one's getting a bit long.
Day 3: Beijing, Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City
In all honesty, the reason I took so long to write to third day was because I'd forgotten what we did. ^^; It's all a blur, what can I say?
Anyway, we'd arranged the night before to meet at the hotel at..2pm or 12pm, I forget which. Which meant we could sleep in for a while, a nice way to recover from long flight. All the students went with Chinese teacher to buy a simcard for our phones (in total, 4 out of 7 had a useable phone..well actually 5 but the 5th didn't realise until like the 3rd last day). We stopped on the way back to look at some fruit for sale, and I got a dragonfruit..needed to buy something. In the end, it was alright, but tasted like it should have a lot more flavour. Then we went back to the hotel and I studied like a good girl while everyone else explored the hotel and got freaked out by some corridor - don't ask, I don't know.
I also tried arranging to meet up with my mum's cousin in Beijing in Tian'anmen Square, but her phone wasn't working so it didn't happen. The actual square wasn't really that interesting, apart from the huge Friendlies display, but lots of vendors selling lots of kites. I succumbed and bought one, which ended up being Elio's b-day pressie.
The Forbidden City was still under renovations (as it was when I went in 2004), and it meant that one of the main buildings were inaccessible. Surrounded by a huge green mesh, it was. It was rather amusing though, they've gone and put up a lifesize picture of the building so that it looked like it was still there. Pretty gardens were at the end, but it's a long walk, so we were only half in the mood for them. When I get photos I'll see what I can put up.
Day 4: Ming Tombs, the Spirit Way and the Great Wall
Alright, time for a final update on China!! I'm really getting the feeling that we did something else today, but maybe not. I think that day was a really hot day, so we were all grateful to get into the nice, cool, underground tombs for an hour or so. Climbing down there was rather scary, it wasn't steep or anything, it just kept on going down..and down..and down. It was a bit of a worry about how long it would take to get back up again (for me anyway) but it wasn't a long climb up at all (different staircase). Umm, so how were the tombs? I think we had to keep moving quickly, but was still good. Maybe a bit boring? I don't remember. I know, mainly from the photos, that a lot of people threw money into the main tombs. I think there were some beds and chairs as well..we couldn't sit on them obviously, but someone took photos (I think).
From there we went to the Spirit Way, and luckily we got an electric car to go down it or it would've taken aaages and we would've been so dead for the Great Wall. We did stop to take pictures, and Shuf got a great video of Kai and George spending ages trying to get up on one of the elephant statues. Didn't think they'd be able to do it until they did do it. Anyway, we went to this resturaunt for lunch called the "Friendship store" and the food was fine, just we got the same thing everywhere else. Also had some cloisonne stuff and carpets, palm paintings, snuff bottles, whole bunch of artwork for sale really. Bought something there, but since it's someone's present and I haven't given it to them yet, I shan't say who it's for or what it was ;).
The Great Wall - I know what happened here, because my memory card ran out here and about 20 of the photos I took were stored in my internal memory for the rest of the trip. We took a cable car up the first part, and I think there was some sort of animal in the bush we were looking at, but I didn't see it. We went to the Mutianyu section of the Wall, because it's not so tourist-y. Shuf and I took our time going up, so we were almost the last people to make it to the top..hehe but nobody else got photos of a donkey. The stairs to the top of the tower at the end though were so steep! Was bad enough going up them, I sat on them to go down them for safety reasons. The real Great Wall continued further on, but it hadn't been refurbished or anything so we couldn't go on it. Fantastic view around there though! We didn't buy a ticket for the way down though, so we had to find our own way down...lol, we nearly went down the wrong path and got lost. There was a taboggan there as well. Wanted to go on it, but the cost didn't cover it and we hadn't any time :(.
Change of plans, Days 5 and 6 can be in a new post..this one's getting a bit long.