Forbidden Delights

With our body clocks all over the place, we awoke at 5am and instead of lounging around we decided to make the best of it and  got up for an early 6am breakfast, after all we have lots to see. The breakfast was amazing, and we made the best of it, poking in bacon, eggs, toast, fruit, waffles, donuts, more fruit, some coffee and fruit juice. We both could have had more but began to feel a little self concious. I suppose we were making up for having had 4 lots of aeroplane food in a row!

Our appetites sated and feeling refreshed, we decided that today was the day to explore the Forbidden City. Stepping outside the hotel we immediately felt the heat despite not being able to see the sun for smog. That's something neither of us were quite expecting; Beijing is quite grimy from pollution (you will see it in the photos later), we knew it would be hot, but this heat positively wears you out!

Anyway, we hopped into a taxi (so cheap and excellent value!) and arrived at Tian-Anmen square. Of course what neither of us had considered was that we have arrived right at the point that every Chinese school has gone on holiday and it is busy. Very, very busy. A couple of billion people in China, and I think they are all here. A short walk to the north end of the square and we are at the Heavenly Gate, entrance to the Forbidden City, and then before we know it, we are inside. It truly is breathtaking, if you can take the maddening throng of people. I was taken by surprise by the locals whom will force-ably shove you aside to get to the front to see an exhibit, which can be a tad irritating at first. Happily I soon realised that I could utilise my larger bulk and height to stand my ground and indeed get near the front sometimes too. Yes those little old ladies didn't know who they were messing with. When we visit the Summer Palace and the Great Wall later this week I'm thinking about taking it a step further and might take a running start to scatter the crowd like skittles...

We soon discovered that off to the side, away from the main route were some quieter but equally amazing sights, little palaces each housing small exhibits within such as the jewellery of the emperors and empresses, all of which were amazingly detailed. Even the woodwork in the ceilings was stunning. IT was some of the little details I enjoyed the most, the little carving at the bottom of a door or the tiling on a roof.

Oh yes, and I have obtained redemption for the hat! Yes indeed, a group of tourists asked to have their picture taken with me, or as they put it: "the man in an Indiana Jones hat". Hah! Take that Freddy Kruger!