Recap: Beijing

After arriving in Beijing and finally making it through customs, I spent the rest of the day exploring the area around the hotel and meeting the rest of the folks on the tour [Ten from England, two from Wales, two Scots, and me; occasionally referred to as 'the Yank']. In the morning, still suffering from jet lag but excited nonetheless, we set out for the Great Wall.

The Great Wall is one of those places that I have heard about my whole life and seen in numerous pictures, but when I got there it still took my breathe away. It is one thing to see photos of something and hear crazy statistics [like if you used the materials of the Great Wall, you could construct a wall 1.1 yards high and 5.5 yards wide that would encircle the globe], but it is another thing entirely to see it.  I will just say that if you ever have a chance to visit the Great Wall; take it. 

My first glimpse of the wall

The wall dips, curves, and climbs it's way through the countryside

There are tourists all over the wall, but it is still possible to find some solitude 

The following day we visited Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden City. I'd heard so much about Tienanmen Square, but once I got there I was actually quite disappointed. Its is basically just an open concrete square. I took a look and then quickly moved on.

I found the Forbidden City to be much more exciting. The Forbidden City was the palace and residence of several of China's Emperor's. As you might imagine, the place is huge. If a person were born today and slept one night in each of the bedrooms in the complex, they would not complete the task until they were 29 years old.

One of the numerous empty courtyards in the Forbidden City

The City has several flowing streams and picturesque bridges

Me standing in front of one of the towering halls

In the evening we visited the Bird's Nest and the rest of the Olympic facilities.

The group having some fun in front of the Bird's Nest

The following day a small group of us decided to explore the sprawling Summer Palace. The Summer Palace is the largest and best preserved imperial garden in China. After the manic, crowded streets of Beijing it was nice to experience the tranquility and natural beauty of the Summer Palace. In the evening we jumped on the overnight train to Shanghai.

One of the many statues that adorn the Summer Palace