Day 6 - Sunday 31st

This was our last full day in Beijing as we had booked to go to the Great Wall on Monday. We decided to take it easy and go to Beihai park (not sure of the spelling). The park is located in the centre of Beijing and it was bustling with people when we got there. The park isn't really touristy, instead full of normal people just enjoying a stroll in the park or meeting up with some friends on a Sunday afternoon. We chilled out for a couple of hours in the sun before we went to see the Hutong's located directly behind the park. It was awful when we got there, absolutely heaving of tourists and Rickshaws parked everywhere with the drivers asking if you want a ride. The Hutongs are meant to represent the real life China with small streets leading into corridors and then into courtyards. We have seen several of these when we have been walking around Beijing (our Hostel is part of a Hutong) and let's just say that the area they tell you to visit isn't really the real thing (in our opinion). We quickly escaped the tours and headed to the veggie restaurant we had picked. We had some trouble finding it but when we did it was great. We ordered food for £12 which we thought would be about right based upon previous experiences. However, when the food came out the dishes were huge (see pictures). There was no way we were going to finish it all so we took doggy bags home. We had an early night as we had to get up early to go to the Great Wall, our last stop before leaving Beijing.

Day 7 - 01st November

We got picked up from our hotel at 07.55, which felt like in the middle of the night (we have been enjoying too many lazy mornings lately). We had taken some time to decide on which tour to take to the wall. You can normally take a tour only to the wall or combine it with the Ming Tombs. We had heard mixed things about the Ming Tombs but as it was £10 cheaper we went for this tour in the end. We started the tour in a Jade factory which was interesting to start with but then turned into a sales pitch. We had read about the tours including shopping time so we were prepared (thank you lonely planet). The people on our tour were, unlike us, not on a budget and willing to buy stone and take it home. We just thought about the extra weight it would add to our rucksacks!!! After the Jade factory we went to see the Ming Tombs. This is where the emperors and empresses lay buried and there are 16 in total. They have only manage to find one actual grave (or vault) so this is the one we went into. We walked down some steps into the vault where all we could see was a fenced off area with a whole in the ground and loads of money chucked on the floor. The guide explained that this is where the empress would have laid but she's no longer buried there. So we walked further into the vault and into the one where the emperor would have been buried. There were 3 big red boxes and several little boxes scattered all-around. The guide explained that all the boxes were empty and the three big boxes are where the bodies would have laid. So we asked if they are the actual boxes from that time (they looked very shiny and red)? The guide said that the students burned the real wooden boxes during their raid in the 70's so nothing was left of them. So by this point we realise we are looking at empty replicated boxes in a stone vault. The history behind the whole thing is interesting but not sure worth seeing. Our next stop was for lunch before we got to the wall. When we finally got to the wall we were told we had to pay if we wanted to go on the cable car up or down. We decided to walk up much to our guides dislike. She was trying to put us off saying it will take too long and we will be too tired when we finally got there. It took 20 minutes to get up and it was not very strenuous at all so not sure if she got commission on the cable ride. Anyway, when we did reach the wall it was spectacular. You could see for miles and the sun was warm and the air was clean. I know it's only a 4000 km wall but it is really beautiful and we are so happy we went. We strolled for over an hour and took as many pictures as we could. Instead of walking down we decided to take the tobogganride down from the wall. It was really good fun but Martin thought I went too slowly so he managed to take some pictures along the way. On the way back to Beijing we stopped in a silk factory for another sales pitch before being taken back to the hostel. We packed our bags ready for our departure for Tokyo tomorrow. We have both really enjoyed Beijing and it is a great city with lots to do and see.

Tokyo here we come.