BEIJING

Ti an Amin Square

TI AN AMIN SQUARE,  THE FORBIDDEN CITY ( ANCIENT HOME OF CHINESE EMPERORS) AND THE ASTOUNDING WALL OF CHINA

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 THE HOTEL LOBBY WAS NOT ONLY BEAUTIFUL BUT FILLED WITH MUSICIANS WHO WERE PLAYING UPON OUR LATE AFTERNOON ARRIVAL.






THE GREAT WALL PICTURES WERE TAKEN FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE - FILLED WITH SO MANY CHINESE TOUR GROUPS THAT I JUDGED IT TO BE AN UNSAFE CLIMB TO HIKE TO THE TOP--
AND SUPPOSEDLY WE WERE THERE ON AN UNCROWDED DAY!  SOME STEPS, BESIDES BEING UNEVEN, HAD ABOUT A 15 INCH RISE AND YOU HAD TO LITERALLY  CLIMB ONTO THEM.  THEN THERE WERE DISABLED FOLKS WHO WERE CLUTCHING ON TO THE SIDES OF THE STEP WALL AND MAKING IT DANGEROUS TO PASS THEM BY. THEN, OF COURSE, THERE WERE ALSO THE DARE DEVILS, THE KIDS, WHO RACED AND PUSHED BY.  

COLD WEATHER AND LOTS OF CHINESE TOURISTS PREVAILED --FEW "BIG NOSES" WERE ON TOUR , THAT IS THE  DESCRIPTION GIVEN TO US BY THE CHINESE, REFERRING TO EUROPEANS OR AMERICANS.     



BEIJING STREETS WERE JAMMED WITH CARS -- OUR GUIDE SAID 5000 NEW LICENSE PLATES ARE ISSUED TO NEW DRIVERS EVERY DAY.  THEN..... DRIVERS HAVE EITHER AN EVEN OR ODD NUMBERED PLATE ALLOWING THEM ON THE ROAD ONLY ON ALTERNATE DAYS.  THIS DEFINITELY PROMOTES RIDE SHARING.

OUR CHINESE GUIDE

 

THE PUBLIC RESTROOMS AT THE GREAT WALL AS WELL AS THE RESTROOMS ALONG THE HIGHWAY WERE ALL THE TYPICAL CHINESE TOILET (AS PICTURED), MERELY A HOLE IN THE GROUND

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