28/10/2009Day 23 - Beijing: Bird's Nest & Water CubeThis morning we packed our bags as we'll be on our way to Xi'an this evening - I am really excited about going to see the Terracotta warriors.Once we'd checked in our luggage with the friendly concierge it was on the subway to see the National Stadium and Water cube. These stadiums were used in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and it was exciting to see them after seeing them on TV. Dad and I had a race to get fr...

27/10/2009Day 22 - Beijing: Great Wall MutianyuToday we went to the Great Wall again but this time at Mutianyu. It was fantastic!! There was a glass chair lift that carried us up to the wall. It was so beautiful looking down at all of the autumn leaves. When we reached the wall, the view was amazing, we could see for miles and miles. The walk along the wall was pleasant as it was mostly downhill, with a little uphill. We walked along for 1½ hrs until we reach a ...

26/10/2009Day 21 - Beijing: Lama & Confucius Temples and Bell & Drum TowersToday we visited the Lama Temple, which is a temple dedicated to Buddha. It houses a treasury of Buddhist art, including sculptured images of gods, demons and Buddhas, as well as Tibetan-style murals. There were many locals with lots and lots of incense sticks paying their respects to Buddha. The further into the grounds we got the bigger the statues became. The most impressive was...

25/10/2009Day 20 - Beijing: Silk MarketThis morning we took it easy relaxing in our hotel room. After lunch we made our way to a silk market. We bought many souvenirs and had fun bargaining with the vendors. It was much nicer than the other market we visited earlier, the vendors we not quite as rude and pushy. I would like to tell you what we bought but Mum said I couldn't as it is a surprise for our family and friends when we get home. Sorry.

24/10/2009Day 19 - Beijing: Zoo & Aquarium Today we headed to the Beijing Zoo and Aquarium. The zoo was almost like any other zoo, expect that it wasn't as nice as the Melbourne Zoo; the animal's enclosures were more like cages, sometimes with little vegetation. The highlight was the panda exhibit; we spent a long time watching the pandas. My favourite was one panda who was slumped over like a rag doll; he was trying to lick the ground with his long tongue (I...