Asia 2008 – Day Eleven

November 12th, 2008 - 7:21am

Day Twelve – 12th Nov 2008
Beijing Expressway
07:21 (written for Day Eleven – 11th Nov 2008) – In a Honda Jazz

Yesterday we woke late—intentionally—to catch up on some sleep. We ventured out to Tiananmen Square and headed straight in the direction of the Forbidden City.

We entered directly through the front entrance, beside the famous portrait of Mao, dodging the massive throngs along the way.

The Forbidden City is every bit as large as it had seemed the previous night, except instead of being devoid of people there were people as far as the eye could see. We were approached quite a number of times for guides who spoke English but each time declined.

Walking through the city itself, it is easy to see how many spent their entire lives inside these walls. From many places, particularly within the inner court, all you can see in any direction is the city.

The number and sheer size of the buildings is astounding; more astounding still is how difficult it can be to get a good view. As many buildings cannot be entered, just admired from viewing barriers, incredibly dense crowds form, all jostling for a look. Initially, I felt bad for shoving for a view but eventually capitulated and shoved, barged and elbowed with the best of them.

The Eastern Wing requires an extra ticket, but is well worth it. The crowds there are no spares it feels like a different place, and was by far the most enjoyable section for me.

As we exited, we ran a gauntlet of touts trying to transport us through Beijing. We decided to take the bus but just missed the one we wanted. When another hadn’t arrived 15 minutes later, we walked. And again the city demonstrated its massive scale.

Deciding it was too late for any more attractions, we headed for Wangfujing Street, a busy shopping street. There, we bought a nice set of ebony chopsticks and headed into a touristy market. The salespeople here grab you if you even blink in their direction but are fun to haggle with. We bought some tacky stuff then sat down in a small noodle joint—which didn’t have an English menu—and tried to order some food. We mostly got what we wanted, it wasn’t very good.

Later, we went to “Silk Street” market, haggling for more stuff we didn’t really need. I managed to get some decent bargains at around 10% of the starting price, while still probably being ripped off. Back to the hotel for an early night.

Photos taken today: 553
Photos taken to date: 3310

Tags: asia 2008, beijing, china, forbidden city, mao, silk street, tian an men square, wang fu jing