Tuesday 29 May
We're feeling a bit flat after what happened last night; what's more, Reg's tummy troubles are persisting and he's not looking so well. I'm taking a couple of Paraclens daily, but this morning even my tummy is out of sorts,
We have just toast and jam and tea for breakfast, then walk along to the local pharmacy and buy some extra strong Immodium for both of us.
It's much cooler today, probably 25 deg C and cloudy. We decide to visit the "Forbidden City", a bit like the Buckingham Palace of Beijing, in the sense that it's where the Emperors lived through the centuries; it's called the "Forbidden City" because there was no access to it for ordinary Chinese people. There is no way that any unauthorised person would have been able to enter the Emperors' domain - there were (and are) numerous entrance tunnels and thick, metal strengthened doors to go through before you reach the inner areas. Above the first entrance door to the City is a huge portrait of the infamous Chairman Mao.
We decide not to bother with a guide, and slowly make our way through all the different tunnels, each of which opens onto a spacious open concrete area, with various pagoda type buildings (restored) at strategic places. You can't go inside the little pagodas, only peer in at the somewhat dingy and difficult to see interiors, where you might spot the odd throne or two. I don't find all this looking around at not very much at all very interesting, although the restored architecture is worthy of note, and Reg takes a few pictures. The Forbidden City does have it's own beauty, but having seeen the magnificent, intricate
architecture of the ancient buildings in Uzbekistan, it takes a lot to impress us.
There are lots of soldiers around; at one stage, part of the "inner square" and terraces is cordoned off by the army and cleared of visitors. For me it is fascinating to see how calmly and effectively this is done by the practised soldiers.
Reg and I agree that the 2 highlights of our visit to the "Forbidden City" are the Hall of Clocks, and the gardens at the rear of the City. In the Hall of Clocks are many unusual and decorative 18th and 19th century clocks, a good number of which were made in England by world-renowned clock makers.
These magnificent objects, some standing 3 feet high or more, are a feast for the eye; they feature moving elephants, dragons, birds; one even has a Dickensian-dressed character that writes in Chinese on a scroll as the clock chimes.
At the rear of the Forbidden City is a beautiful, unusual garden, no lawns, but stunning trees in strange shapes. As you exit the Forbidden City, you can cross the road via an underpasss, and climb a long, winding stairway of stone steps to a pagoda on top of a tree- filled hill. Most visitors take the opportunity to climb this hill to the pagoda (which houses a gold budda, no photos please), because from the pagoda is a magnificent view, looking down not only on the Forbidden City, but on Beijing, with mountains visible on the skyline, for once not hidden by Beijing's famous smog. You can walk right round the pagoda, thus gaining a "circular" view of the whole city.
We get talking to an American man in his 50's who's been living in China for 2 years, teaching at a secondary school, while his wife teaches in a college. We have an extremely interesting discussion on Chinese life and government, and decide that China's future should be good, because of the wonderful potential, talent and courage of her young people.
We have a 2 mile walk back to the hostel, passed government buildings, with drivers sitting in posh, shiny, black Mercedes or 4 by 4's, all with blacked out windows, waiting, we assume, to drive home the government officials at the end of the working day,
It starts to rain very gently, and as we approach the subway we are inundated with people trying to sell us umbrellas! You can't fault the Chinese people's ability to exploit a selling opportunity. We don't buy an umbrella, but as soon as we arrive back at our hostel, the storm breaks, and the rain falls down in torrents outside our window.
We're feeling a bit flat after what happened last night; what's more, Reg's tummy troubles are persisting and he's not looking so well. I'm taking a couple of Paraclens daily, but this morning even my tummy is out of sorts,
We have just toast and jam and tea for breakfast, then walk along to the local pharmacy and buy some extra strong Immodium for both of us.
It's much cooler today, probably 25 deg C and cloudy. We decide to visit the "Forbidden City", a bit like the Buckingham Palace of Beijing, in the sense that it's where the Emperors lived through the centuries; it's called the "Forbidden City" because there was no access to it for ordinary Chinese people. There is no way that any unauthorised person would have been able to enter the Emperors' domain - there were (and are) numerous entrance tunnels and thick, metal strengthened doors to go through before you reach the inner areas. Above the first entrance door to the City is a huge portrait of the infamous Chairman Mao.
We decide not to bother with a guide, and slowly make our way through all the different tunnels, each of which opens onto a spacious open concrete area, with various pagoda type buildings (restored) at strategic places. You can't go inside the little pagodas, only peer in at the somewhat dingy and difficult to see interiors, where you might spot the odd throne or two. I don't find all this looking around at not very much at all very interesting, although the restored architecture is worthy of note, and Reg takes a few pictures. The Forbidden City does have it's own beauty, but having seeen the magnificent, intricate
architecture of the ancient buildings in Uzbekistan, it takes a lot to impress us.
There are lots of soldiers around; at one stage, part of the "inner square" and terraces is cordoned off by the army and cleared of visitors. For me it is fascinating to see how calmly and effectively this is done by the practised soldiers.
Reg and I agree that the 2 highlights of our visit to the "Forbidden City" are the Hall of Clocks, and the gardens at the rear of the City. In the Hall of Clocks are many unusual and decorative 18th and 19th century clocks, a good number of which were made in England by world-renowned clock makers.
These magnificent objects, some standing 3 feet high or more, are a feast for the eye; they feature moving elephants, dragons, birds; one even has a Dickensian-dressed character that writes in Chinese on a scroll as the clock chimes.
At the rear of the Forbidden City is a beautiful, unusual garden, no lawns, but stunning trees in strange shapes. As you exit the Forbidden City, you can cross the road via an underpasss, and climb a long, winding stairway of stone steps to a pagoda on top of a tree- filled hill. Most visitors take the opportunity to climb this hill to the pagoda (which houses a gold budda, no photos please), because from the pagoda is a magnificent view, looking down not only on the Forbidden City, but on Beijing, with mountains visible on the skyline, for once not hidden by Beijing's famous smog. You can walk right round the pagoda, thus gaining a "circular" view of the whole city.
We get talking to an American man in his 50's who's been living in China for 2 years, teaching at a secondary school, while his wife teaches in a college. We have an extremely interesting discussion on Chinese life and government, and decide that China's future should be good, because of the wonderful potential, talent and courage of her young people.
We have a 2 mile walk back to the hostel, passed government buildings, with drivers sitting in posh, shiny, black Mercedes or 4 by 4's, all with blacked out windows, waiting, we assume, to drive home the government officials at the end of the working day,
It starts to rain very gently, and as we approach the subway we are inundated with people trying to sell us umbrellas! You can't fault the Chinese people's ability to exploit a selling opportunity. We don't buy an umbrella, but as soon as we arrive back at our hostel, the storm breaks, and the rain falls down in torrents outside our window.
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