I need to catch up with my journals so 2 weeks back I visited the grand province of Beijing. The capital of China is a gorgeous city to see. You get the best of both worlds being able to enjoy the sun with a peaceful day in an enormous garden called “summer palace”, and then have a blast at night walking and tasting as many odd insects as your stomach can handle. On the food street you can try anything from silk worms to sea horses.
I arrived to Beijing after a 30 minute ride on the bullet train that goes up to a wopping 290mph, but is hardly felt that you are moving at that speed. We checked into a very cute and warm hostel called “happy chopsticks” that was a perfect fit. By the way, in my journals when I use the word “we” I am talking about the group of students that are also on this trip with me. We are all from the same university and much of our travels both in and out of China are done together. A narrow alley full of tiny clothing stores was where I did some light shopping, while on my way to eat at a famous hotel “The Emperor” that has the best rooftop dining overlooking the Forbidden City. The food was fabulous. The eggplant that I have tasted in China beats every other eggplant I have tasted or will taste! That night was a long one, as we continued to walk around sightseeing and finally stopping at a simple yet modern hookah bar. The next day started a bit late due to the late night from before and so we decided to leave the Great Wall for the following day when we were more rested. Instead we went to a gorgeous, extensive garden named “summer palace” if you are ever in Beijing, this location is a must. Complete with rivers that can be crossed by ferry, little temples with Buddha’s at the peak of the mountains, hills, beautiful views of Beijing and souvenir shops.