Ni Hao

I was not going to post a blog for yesterday's activities because we did nothing till leaving for our train but this became an event in itself as you will soon find out.

China is seeing it's worst weather for 50 years and it clearly does not know how to handle it at the minute. As soon as we climbed the stairs from subway Line 3 the chaos was unbelievable, there were people and bags all over the street and road.

The army had stopped anyone entering the train station and the crowd was building minute by minute, armed with our phrasebook and train tickets we tried to get some answers as to what was going on but all we got for our efforts was trampled and knocked around in the wave of people moving around. It all got a bit too much and we took a step back while we tried to think of a plan, after 10 minutes we had hatched an idea, push as hard as you get pushed and shoved and hopefully reach the guards at the barrier.

We had got to the train station 3 1/2 hours before the train was due to leave but now we only had 1 1/2 hours to get in the station as it was still barracaded off. Eventually we found a small gap and squeezed through the people with our bags on, which is not an easy task. A fight broke out as people surged forward and Mel had to tell a guy off for trying to push past her and nearly knocking her over!!!

I brandished my ticket and the most bizarre thing was still to come, the soldier beckoned me forward and had me climb over the barricade to escape the crowd, Mel was right behind me then once her bags were over it was her turn to climb the fence or should I say get dragged over by two guards. Neither of us have ever experienced anything so crazy and frightening and were glad to escape the crowds to the relative calm of the station. It took us quite a while to get over the whole thing and then within no time we had to board our train for Beijing.

As has been the case with all our other trains this one ground to a halt in Beijing at exactly 06.48am this morning and things were going well (we should stop thinking too far ahead!!!)

We joined the taxi queue and again Mel chastised someone for pushing her again, the first cab we got in refused to take us even though we had the address in Chinese and the second guy had to take us as he was holding up the traffic!!!!

After a few minutes he called the hostel as he did not know where it was and eventually we pulled up.The fare was 18 yuan but he insisted on 20 yuan. Mel told him 18 was on the clock but I only had 20.He said the extra was for the phone call to find the hostel he was supposed to know!!!!

I gave him the 20 yuan note and Mel unleashed a barrage of abuse on the guy as he had just ripped us off. I have never heard Mel swear so much since we have been in China, I think this morning she was pushed to her limits after last nights fiasco she was having a "I want to go home moment" (back to Gran!!!)

We had another scare when I called to reconfirm our flight from Beijing and the lady said it had been cancelled but then 10 minutes later she called back and the matter was sorted but we had a bit more blue air!!!

The weather here is really good although the wind is icy the sun is out as well. The hostel is in a really good location only 15 minutes walk from Tian'namen Square which is where we went this afternoon for a look around. It is a huge mass of land but is most infamous for the 1989 massacre that took place when the army ran over people in tanks and sprayed crowds with bullets killing what is estimated to be thousands.

We went back to the hostel to rest our bodies in preparation for our 5.30am start to trip out to Jinshaling to walk 8km along the wall to Simitai which will hopefully be amazing.

Lots of Love

M & M

xx

P.s You will all be pleased to know Mel is now back to normal and her blood pressure is fine again!!!