21.06.09 Beijing

We had a wicked week in Beijing. It started as we got on a flight full of potential swine flu carriers. When we landed at the airport the health officials were rightly cautious and fumigated the plane before they came on to scan all our head temperatures. We were then allowed off the plane and again scanned before they would let us in. We finally got there and decided to spend some of our first day in the forbidden city - as it turns out the forbidden city is massive and needs a whole day! Charlie decided to treat me to a vegetarian dinner - vege pigeon, vege fish, vege beef...mmm!!

The next day we decided to go modern and visited the olympic complex. We took some photographs... and then charlie took some more..., nipped inside the water cube and then went away for dinner and decided to go back to see them lit up at night.... and charlie took a lot more pictures!! (I shouldn't joke they are all very good!)

On wednesday we decided to have an easier day as over the last two days we seemed to have walked about 15km and wanted to make sure we were ready for the great wall. We went to the Temple of Heaven and the ancient architecture museum... and walked a lot in between!

Thursday was the great wall of China. We organised to go with the hostel who take you to a bit which is unrepaired. We did not have the minimum 3 people required but managed it anyway so off me, Charlie, the guide and the driver went. After arriving at the local village a local farmer made lunch for us. I had not been feeling great the previous day and so wasn't feeling like much. The first three plates looked lovely and plenty food for us all but by the time she brought the 10th plate out I was wondering when she would stop! After a rest to let our feast go down we went to the wall. It is pretty immense and seeing it wind off into the distance was brilliant.