We arrived in Beijing at 6.30am on Wednesday on overnight train T56 from Xian. The journey was smooth and our bunks comfortable. We checked into a hotel close to the Forbidden City.Over the next three days we strolled through Tiananmen Square, visited the Forbidden City (the home of the former emperors of China), and travelled 50 km north of Beijing to walk on the Badaling section of the Great Wall of China. We also made a couple of shopping forays to the fun Beijing silk market where just about any goods imaginable are sold by aggressive but good-humoured and friendly salespeople. Brad and Miriam also managed to squeeze in some cycling around the streets of Beijing. We fittingly ended our time in this pleasant city with a Peking duck dinner at an excellent restaurant on the top floor of the silk market.
In the early afternoon on Saturday 29 September our China trip came to an end and the remaining six of us headed for the airport where we went our separate ways; Dylan & Jane to Singapore, Brad & Miriam to Hong Kong, and Lee Tuan and I to Los Angeles. We had had a great time. China is a fantastic place to visit; a land of vast variety and fascination.
