Beijing Part 2

It was a good thing we wore our walking shoes because they got a good workout this day from sun up to sun down (even though you really couldn't actually see the sun in the sky in Beijing because of the haze of smog in the air).

example of morning smog from our hotel room window:

We explored the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and had Peking Duck for dinner in a very fancy restaurant. Then we visited a place referred to as the Times Square of China in downtown Beijing, and a popular Hutong where they served the most unusual and quite unappealing fried things on a stick....you will see what I mean when you scroll down through this post. Beware of the video. It might make you squirm a bit. haha....no seriously, it made me squirm

 Notice the enclosed motor scooter in the bottom corner of the collage....well, we were so weary of walking that Jeremy, Sasha and I all squeezed in the back of that thing and paid him to drive us the three or four miles we would have had to walk at the end of the day to our restaurant. Squished and cramped together weaving in and out of traffic perilously close to other bikes, motorcycles and full size cars - yep, it was still totally worth it.

Having traditional Peking Duck in Beijing (where it originated during the imperial era) was more than a meal. It was an experience.

This was the "Times Square" area of Beijing. A mix of some of the most expensive stores, hotels, and restaurants right alongside street vendors, souvenir shops and a very interesting Hutong serving up delicacies you couldn't pay me to try. 

In case you didn't see those fried scorpions, seahorses, and starfish well enough in the collage

...here you go.

A rare find:
Beijing's oldest Protestant Church, Gangwashi Christian Church (also called St. Joseph's cathedral) recently celebrated the 150th anniversary of it's founding. The architecture is a beautiful example of early 20th century Romanesque revival and stands starkly amidst the modern bustling city that closely surrounds it.

One interesting thing we observed throughout our visit was the groups of seemingly random people who would gather together in various places around the city (usually in the evening) to do synchronized dances. Some looked like country line dancing and others were more like a mix of yoga and ballroom dance. They were all set to music and completely mesmerizing to watch. There was one going on in the church courtyard when we were there.

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