88 days on wheels: Beijing - an easy Tourist life!

Beijing - we loved Beijing! The city ıs home to 18millıon people and is the same size as Belgium! People were very friendly and calm. Everyone cycles or uses electric mopeds and the bikes rule the traffic - with red lights seemingly optional to pedestrians and cyclists, which took a bit of getting used to. Yes, Motorists toot their horns, which is blissfully ignored by all 2-wheelers!

Wandering around the streets we encountered quite a few strict rules though, enforced by eager police men and women and signposted by these signs, see below. So better not think of flying a kite or making a bondfire in Beijing!

We enjoyed strolling through the "Hutongs" - Sidestreets of the city.

And then we dived into the mad tourist stream at the forbidden city, one of six world heritage sites in the city and a major attraction.

Rather then sun cream the Chinese make use of umbrellas in rain and sun.

And it was full of people, a 15mın walk turned ınto 2hours weaving around umbrellas. But all in a chılled out atmosphere. Below ıs the " Gate of Surpreme Harmony" one of the palace buildings of the forbidden city. It's an impressive array of palaces built mainly during the Ming Dynasty 600 years ago and since then home to 24 emperors.

We relaxed in a side street poetry cafe afterwards and made a more or less artistic contribution to the guestbook.

We also enjoyed the food - Beijing is all about food with something like 60 000 restaurants. Not to forget the famous "Peking Duck" which was advertised everywhere.

Our hotel (Kıng's Joy Hotel) was great! Big, right in the centre, clean and good breakfast.

We spent many hours exploring the city on our bicycles...also in search for a bike shop...

We had almost given up - all bike repair stands were more geared towards the typical get-around-the city-bike and had not the type of wheel we needed to fix Tim's bike. But then on Sunday night at 8pm we stumbled across a proper mountainbike shop - complete coincidence and luck (apparently it's the only one it's kind in the whole city). The guys in there were very friendly and built Tim a new wheel right there and then, despite it was passed their closing time! How cool is that!

We met Satoshi in the shop, a Japanese guy who lives in Beijing and is a keen Mountainbiker. He helped us with vital! translation - Thank you again!

One evening we enjoyed an interestimg couple of hours watching a show about the story of kungfu in the Red theatre.

And then there was the great wall! We used the offered tour by our hotel and joıned a tour bus to Mutıanyu one of the visitable sectıons 90km NorthEast of Beijing. We took the cable car up...