Eastern Thrills: Beijing

I typically HATE the fall time. I know I know, you are thinking how sadistic is she, who hates fall? Alls I know is every fall without fail I can't sleep, I stress about everything, and I am grumpy. So this year, I planned a trip to Asia with my dear travel companion and friend, Hughes. I figured if I left the country and refocused, I might be able to stand the fall, and let me tell you this was best decision ever. 

Hughes and I landed in Beijing after a fourteen hour flight, with massive cankles and swollen eyes, ready to charge this city of 24 million peeps.  Good thing we slept the entire flight because little did we know we were in for an epic few hours. We arrived at 2 AM with no where to go. I forgot to mention earlier that we were so busy reveling in our excitement, or twiddling our thumbs, we forgot to make reservations for our first night there (?). Okay, so yeah, yeah, yeah, H and I have traveled a bit together, and yeah, yeah, yeah, we have had some pretty epic National Geo style treks and adventures, but WHO THE HELL lands in Beijing at 2 AM with no where to go. It was also National Day, not to be confused with the singular day, but rather SEVEN days of the country being on holiday. Needless to say, "No Reservations" meant "No Vacancy." So, once again we were leaving our future to luck and western ignorance. We lucked out after a few hours of trekking around the city with our white skin, english speaking, backpack carrying selves, and found a great place where we stayed for the duration of our time in Beijing. 

This was just the beginning of our attempt at this ancient and curious city. Here are a few stories that illustrate my fav parts of Beijing.

PRC flags everywhere on bamboo sticks.

We stayed in a Hutong, which is an alleyway with courtyards where traditionally people lived . Red lanterns paint the sky.

Our first day outing to a series of Buddhist and Confucius temples. Yes, we are wearing matching  gringo outfits.

A little taste of Shangrila.

Great Wall of China. To the left Mongolia, to the right China. 

Such a highlight to see this magnificent wall. Stunning.

Mongolian mountains. Never forget the red dominance.

Bikes were so ubiquitous in the city. 

Night lights.

This may have been right before we were victims of an attempted robbery.  Smiles turned to frowns quickly. 

Blowouts every few days. The chinese know how to give the hair some love.

Rickshaw riding.

Taking a break at the Forbidden Palace; the fortress of the Ming Dynasty.  

On the streets,  bok choy prepping.

Tiananman Square, the largest public space in China and home to many socio-political historical events. 

This guy.

Bikes for every occasion.

Dumplings for every occasion.

Early morning commute.

Most amazing doors I have ever seen.

Everyone eats sunflower seeds, no package needed.


Stay tuned for the next stop: Xi'an, China.