Days 1-5; China so far...

Steph: Having spent almost five days here in China we have done a good job of seeing Beijing's touristic sights: The Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Hutongs, Insense Burning Hill and today, THE GREAT WALL!

Thanks to Chris' best friend from high school, Victor, we're staying at the Dutch ambassador's residence, making for quite a cosy start to our backpacking tour! This is hardly backpacking, that's for sure. The family and staff have been so kind, welcoming us into their home; the house is absolutely beautiful. Truly made for hosting dinner parties and receptions and entertaining. After meeting the head of Shell in our flipflops on the first night, we attended a reception yesterday evening with the interns from all the embassies - this was great and our informal attire wasn't noticed as all the interns are around our age and were happy to be chatting and networking informally after a hard week at work. Reminded me so much of being at UNESCO, especially when I met the British interns who seem to be having such a great experience. Victor arrived last night from Shanghai where he works and we sat catching up way into the early hours on the terrace.

Our first day (Tuesday) we arrived around 11am China time (4am BMT) and were extremely tired after travelling for the whole of Monday. Not to be defeated, we joined some of Victor's friends (spending their last day visiting Beijing) on a trip to the Temple of Heaven. An impressive complex of temples, only somewhat disappointing when you consider that it was restored in the 70s. We've found this here in Beijing so far, and I hope this isn't an unfair comment; whereas for Europeans, anything old old old impresses us, the Chinese seem content to be renovating and restoring (to the very last brick!) any historical relic that remains! It's not in their nature to be too sentimental about these things, it seems. Having said that, because it's August and thus Chinese holidays, there are literally thousands and THOUSANDS of a new generation of Chinese tourists at any one sight, taking the history in with their only child! At the Forbidden City (which is by no means forbidden any longer!), Chris and I were amazed by the mass of Chinese tourists, we only spotted three other Western couples the whole day - it really was packed and we realised perhaps that AUgust may not be the best time to visit China.

No real culture shocks so far, not like I expected there to be anyway - it really is far more Westernised and modern here in Beijing than I'd expected (due in a large sense to the Olympics last year) and I must admit, one of my favourite parts so far has been walking down the hutongs (some of the surviving winding old streets where people still live, a reminder of how Beijing once was - these are all being torn down and being replaced with tall apartment clocks faster than you can imagine which is a shame in many ways). Chris and I wonder how long the remaining hutongs will be around for. Returning to culture shocks, the spitting isn't really that bad (!!); the government tried to ban people from spitting just before the Olympics apparently! While we're on the subject, facebook AND this blog are banned in China, along with many other sites - the internet is a dangerous thing - so thanks Mum for uploading this blog at home which I have sent via email!

One thing we've noticed is that there are CONSIDERABLY more little boys than little girls. Almost too noticeable to be true - scary, and apparently, in the next 15 years there are going to be around 30 million men who can't find a partner purely because there aren't enough women. Maybe women can start doubling up for a change! Multiple husbands, what do you think, ladies?! The husbands could each have their own room like the concubines used to have in the Forbidden City and be summoned when needed and get on with their sewing when not! Ha! No, but seriously, it really is quite scary to see all these male only children, spoilt rotten!

From what we have seen so far in Beijing, we can truly only say positive and wonderful things about Chinese poeple; they're so happy and jolly, laughing and joking with each other all the time - so eager to help you but just don't understand a thing you're trying to say! What I really like in restaurants is that there's no rush to serve either the man or the woman first - women aren't served their drinks or wine first as is the etiquette in European countries, and nor are men rushed to be served first like in countries such as Turkey where I've been. It's just whoever happens to be closest: great, I think!

Great Wall today - WOW. Truely amazing. Extremely tough in such heat but a fabulous sight - the mountains surrounding it are dramatic in every sense. I hadn't realised how steep it is in so many parts! There are sections where you have to scramble up almost like climbing a ladder! We took the mainly downhill route though, I have to admit, followed by a great treat - a zip wire all the way down and a boat across the lake to take you back to the carpark. Victor came with us and we hired his dad's driver to take us.

This evening, Victor has organised fun and frolics here at the residence - he's friends coming round and we're ordering pizza (!!! I haven't seen any Western restaurants since being here apart from the occasional Pizza Hut and KFC) before heading out to what is supposed to be the coolest club in town, Shoe (shoo? Xiou?). So I'll sign off now, I know Chris has already typed up about the last few days so apologies if we've repeated. We can't get wifi here at the residence and have only used wifi twice in the city so internet useages are few and far between, hence why no photos thus far.

I hope you are all well,

love Steph and Chris xx