My stop in Beijing is nearing its end. Ultimately I got the requested ticket to Shenzhen this evening and thus will soon start my trip towards Beijing West Railway Station. Today I visited couple of the old (about 1000 years) royal gerdens next to Forbidden City. Otherwise I have mostly been wandering around random hutongs. As weather has been mainly cloudy and foggy during recent days the temperature has been very convenient except yesterday, when it was sunny and hot.

One observation that I have made here is that there are practically no oil-consuming two-wheeled vechiles around. In addition to bicycles, people use only electrically assisted bicycles and elecrical mopeds or scooters. Only some heavy duty tricycles have had fuel burning engines. I wonder what kind of policy the government has had here to make such total switch. I have to admit that these electrical vechiles are much more pleasant on the hutongs than traditional mopeds and scooters elsewhere. The only drawback is that if they are in good condition they are practically totally silent and will suprise You when they pass You.

I have noticed that Facebook is not available here and according to the blog platform I should do some activity there to re-enable these blog entries to show there. Unfortunately I can not do it before I get out of China so those who follow me only in Facebook vill be in darkness for a while.