China...land of the...um...well...

Firstly a confession, yes we knew we were travelling to China during the New Year festivities and we knew everything was going to be pretty shut up and there would be fireworks everywhere (and I mean 24 hours a day.) But in our defence we really wanted to see what China would be like especially at this special time running up to the Olympics and we shifted our trip around to fit this in.

So with that out of the way, we knew we were in for a different experience from Tokyo where everything works and everyone bends over backwards to help - to the point of the ridiculous, the obligation the Japanese feel to help people find their way led to us being jumped a couple of times by map wielding grannies even when we were perfectly clear where we were going!

Our overall impression of Beijing is of a city that is breaking it's neck to be ready for the summer (and reminding everyone 24/7 on 3 of the state run TV channels that they are doing so.) The amount of building work is astounding, every street has some form of development from the huge new corporate centres to the underground system with fancy new turnstiles all wrapped up in plastic and the 'polishing' of the hutongs - Beijing's old winding streets housing the old school hustle and bustle that seem to be disappearing fast. It has a definite feeling of being a city that is not quite finished...I hope they get there.

Some highlights of the highlights of our week were

strolling down the night market daring each other to eat something gruesome on a stick (we thought about the grubs, scorpions and seahorses but went extreme and had strawberries and pineapple dipped in syrup no less!!)


walking along the Great Wall on Valentines Day (nice and early to avoid the crowds)

peking duck carved at our table

Factory 798, an old factory complex that used to churn machinery for the common good that has now been taken over by the art scene in Beijing...we wandered around gallery after gallery for a whole day. It was the first time we felt like we were seeing unhindered expression, especially after watching CCTV!!


a wonderful restaurant called passby bar where we shared a bottle of wine and chatted for hours...all nonsense!!
No photo...you don't want to pry now do you!

Oh and Chairman Miaow on Tiananmen Square of course!


There were a number of things that we weren't impressed with but that may be something that we will have to write down for the right people...Dear China...