Flight 4 hours, Tokyo to Beijing seems long but the Hostesses very service oriented inded.
Very little English spoken at Beijing airport even at the Tourist information, no idea of what a hostel is. Eventually manage to get on the shuttle bus into centre. 2 chinese and one Iranian girl next to me here for shopping, amusing phone conversations going on by the Iranian girl.
Xidan, terminal of the shuttlebus, little information available, I am panicing as the lack of English is even worse than Japan and the cold is bitter. Within meters of a Bookhouse (huge place that I visited a number of times in the following days) I am persuaded by a taxi driver to go to a nearby hotel and check in for one night. 160Y is not a lot of money unless if you compare it to a hostel at 40Y. Chinese appear to talk about you or what is going on right in front of you which is noticable when you are checking in somewhere or you will have 3-4 people including passers by gathering around your table when you are trying to order food.
I go out later and walk to the bookshop anyway where I could have got all the information i needed, in the basement there is an English section where I get some travel tips from some australian girls too. the book shop is very popular, 100s of people mill around the place and since it closes at 21.00 is also a haven from the cold air. Then i have a meal at a local eatery for about $1. Didnt manage to find a sweet shop.
26th
Next morning I start my attempt at completing my vaccinations and a hostel.
The first hostel I visited was small, poorly spoken receptionsts and I leave after realising that I will have little help here to plan my travel in China.
Having booked into Far East Hostel in a Hutong area of Beijing get chatting to Jerry and we start doing some sight seeing together. First stop is Tianáman square with hundreds of tourists (mostly chinese at most of the interesting sights, foreigners have better sense than being here this time of year!mostly), Huge area quite near my previous hotel. We dont stay too long, bitterly cold.
We go to the Book building and get chatting to Lee, Chinese school teacher who treats us to a meal later, later we go to the mall. here we meet Daisy (most chinese give you a western name which is great help as you wont be able to pronounce their name otherwise). She has had an interview today and anxious to get a job, she is petite and chatty but we are tired and our attention is drifting towards the hostel.
27th
up about 11 and achey all over.
Visit to Forbidden city, an amazingly beautiful place but we are very exposed to the cold and the well hidden refreshment places are comparatively expensive (funny how you begin to work in the local curency which is actually a very good idea). We leave far too quickly to have made the best of our time here.
we find a coffee and cake shop and have a very nice chioux bun, near the hostel at Xianeman district.
Later we take a bus ride through Beijing and get totally lost and end up in one of the massive bus stations. There are tens of rough sleepers here with their bundles of worldly belongings including a father and two children who have built a small enclosure around them with cardboard. i am preaching at Jerry as well as reflecting myself at the misfortune of large majority of human beings and our own petty worries in comparison.
We eventually find a bus, which goes the wrong way and we taxi back towards the hostel. We eat in a kebab place, Jerry is rushing to get to the bar across the road, but I wont be rushed, digesting my food and cheap beer. I am right, the bar is not that exciting, although there is some music and better furniture, beer is twice the price though, and the toilet down the alleyway next to the bar.
China