Beijing

To Duck, or not to Duck.

This is the original Peking Duck Restaurant in the heart of Beijing (although I must assume there have been numerous upgrades and minor renovations over the years). Quite the restaurant though, for both locals and tourists alike, and definitely in the five star category. Their ducks are worth their weight in Gold, and they charge accordingly. Apparently, there is one farm only that supplies the special birds to this restaurant, and on an exclusive basis. Definitely worth a look and a bite if you are ever in Beijing.


After a nice bit of glazed fowl, you must travel north of the city to see one of the wonders of the world: The Great Wall. We went by taxi, hired one for the day (which was not overly expensive) so that we had a bit more flexibility than we would have had a part of a tour group. You must travel north to Badaling, where the government has reconstructed and repaired a good portion of the wall for the purpose of tourism. This is an extremely impressive sight, and one which should not be missed.

If you take the trip by coach, you will enjoy a nice quiet ride (so I am told) in air-conditioned
comfort. If you hire a private vehicle, be well strapped in and grab hold of something. The road is a complete mess, the drivers pay no heed to the centre line (actually, there usually isn't a centre line), and everyone passes wherever they can - on the left, or the right, on corners and in the middle of intersections. Quite an experience.

Another of the "don't miss tourist attractions" has to be the Forbidden City. Directly across from Tiananmen Square and the Great Hall of the People, it is a work in progress for the Chinese Government. The "city" is massive. Much larger than I had ever imagined. Much of it is still under renovation, and although we enjoyed the finished parts, I wanted to search out all the little back alleyways and isolated parts. It was interesting to find these buildings, most of them unlocked, and open for exploration. And no one else around!

The original work in marble and wood and stone really is quite amazing, and you can quite easily imagine the grandeur and the pomp and ceremony that once existed within these walls. There are literally miles of walks with thousands of steps, and many singularly unique carvings and statues to see.We spent most of a day within the confines of the Forbidden City, and could have stayed longer had we wished to join the many queues that formed to enter some of the more impressive pavilions.
Rather than spend time standing in line, we went exploring.