SPL#1 - Beijing Trip (4-11Mar 06) Day 2
Woke up really early today. Like 6.30am. This was so we could avoid the peak hour traffic. Xia & family picked me up at the hotel at 7am, and off we were to the Great Wall. It was a 1hr+ drive from the hotel to the Great Wall at Badaling. There’s nothing much to see though in springtime, as the hills’ grasses are still bald. According to Xia’s parents, it would be better to visit the Great Wall in autumn, as that would be when the surroundings' at its most scenic. It was extremely cold today, and especially so after I had gone to wash my hands in the toilet, since it felt like taking water out of the fridge and pouring it onto your bare hands on a winter’s night.
Some parts of the Great Wall were really steep climbs, but climbing was just the easy part. The wonderful part is when you’ve climbed all you wanted to, and decide to make your way back down. For those afraid of heights, climbing too far up is certainly something you don’t want to do.
When we were finally done with the picture taking and climbing, we got back to the car and drove to Dalian Seafood Restaurant for lunch. It was another 1hr+ drive, another feast when we got there, and another beer drinking session. The fish dumplings were great stuff - the meat was so tender and juicy. Simply yummy. There were leftovers, as usual, and Xia’s parents had the remaining food packeted.
After lunch, they drove me back to the hotel and told me to entertain myself with the DvDs I had bought the night before while they went to visit Xia’s grandmother. They would pick me up again in the evening, to meet two of Xia’s childhood friends at Tiananmen Square. After taking some photos (Not that we spent too much time doing that anyway, since my camera’s battery went flat!!) we took the subway train to a shopping complex one station away for dinner.
The shopping mall we went to was quite similar to the ones we have in Singapore. According to Xia’s friends, this is the case for most of Beijing’s shopping malls. After dinner, we went snack shopping before I headed back to the hotel in a cab.
The Great Wall at Ba Da Ling
It just goes on and on and on...
Some parts of the Great Wall were really steep climbs, but climbing was just the easy part. The wonderful part is when you’ve climbed all you wanted to, and decide to make your way back down. For those afraid of heights, climbing too far up is certainly something you don’t want to do.
When we were finally done with the picture taking and climbing, we got back to the car and drove to Dalian Seafood Restaurant for lunch. It was another 1hr+ drive, another feast when we got there, and another beer drinking session. The fish dumplings were great stuff - the meat was so tender and juicy. Simply yummy. There were leftovers, as usual, and Xia’s parents had the remaining food packeted.
Now that's what you call a feast!
After lunch, they drove me back to the hotel and told me to entertain myself with the DvDs I had bought the night before while they went to visit Xia’s grandmother. They would pick me up again in the evening, to meet two of Xia’s childhood friends at Tiananmen Square. After taking some photos (Not that we spent too much time doing that anyway, since my camera’s battery went flat!!) we took the subway train to a shopping complex one station away for dinner.
Tiananmen Square by night
The shopping mall we went to was quite similar to the ones we have in Singapore. According to Xia’s friends, this is the case for most of Beijing’s shopping malls. After dinner, we went snack shopping before I headed back to the hotel in a cab.
posted by dlauposer | 5:55 PM
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