Late start today, wanted to go to either the Olympic Stadium or Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden City. Unfortunately the weather intervened again. It rained for a few hours almost as soon as I woke. No point in getting soaked for the second day running.
Eventually the rain stopped and the sun came out, time only to walk to Tienanmen square as the time left in the day wouldn’t give enough time to go around the Forbidden city.
There’s not much in the square and not as many people there as was seen on the news footage many years ago. Thoughts of Roger Waters and his album ‘Amused to Death’ and Watching TV track. I can’t place where the tanks are confronted by the girl.
There are a few buildings that seem central to China and its politics, most are off limits. I apologise for the selfies. Took plenty of photos but some seem to have disappeared!!
If you stop long enough in any one spot you will be approached by the Chinese for photos with you. They only speak Chinese; if you reply ‘Can you speak English?’ they just raise their voice and repeat what they said first time. After the third of fourth time you get the gist and just say about speaking English to have a laugh. About 15 photos of me with different Chinese people are now in China!! They really can be a funny people.
If you’re into gardening you will enjoy the tended borders in the square.
The Museum of China.
The Chairman looking over the shoulder!! Police and army are everywhere but getting them in a photo gets them shouting at you before you can line the photo up.
Not sure what this group was but they looked more ‘Mongolian’ than Chinese.
A couple of monuments to the revolution notice how the women are depicted as the farmer with the crops. Very Soviet looking.
Everyone asks have you had Beijing duck? My memory says it was called Peking duck and eventually the lure is taken. Half a duck for 58 Yuan (about £7) and the spicy twice cooked pork!! This is asked when ordering the pork ‘You want spicy hot?’ It is neither; it is rather bland and consists mainly of the rinds of bacon, not impressed.
The beer is ‘Young Fresh’ and it’s only 2 weeks old!!
Not sure what has brought the night of the toilets back but another night of poor sleep due to bowel movements!!