I could barely wake myself the next day, even though I could hear Liam out and about and I knew we had a busy day ahead of us. We'd had a new arrival in the night in the form of Julia from Sweden, who had been travelling for a month and had just come to Beijing from Samya, Hainan (China's southern most point aside from tiny islands), and was flying home to Sweden in a few days' time. Simon had been studying in Shanghai and was now on his way home to Canada; he had left at 7am in the morning. It was quite nice to think that we'd be returning to Urumqi instead of home. Julia told Liam that she wanted to study fashion in China. In Chinese? No, it's taught in English. We think she'd truly be one of a kind: a Swedish girl studying fashion in English in China!
We had breakfast with an Australian couple who were teaching in Sichuan province and were travelling for Spring Festival. They couldn't yet speak any Chinese but they were really nice. The woman was called Amy but we never did find out the man's name! I chose the meat option and surprised myself by liking the bacon. Probably because it blatantly wasn't bacon. Also fried egg, toast and cheese and toast and jam, some apple, mini oranges and a tomato (which I obviously was not putting anywhere near my mouth), ketchup, orange juice and green tea made for a really good breakfast.
We subwayed to Tian'anmen but yet again were too late for seeing the Mausoleum before 12. We actually got there at 11.50, but we were on the wrong side. We got round to the entrance at 12, just before it closed. Something to do in summer then! We then went directly to the Lama Temple by subway, and looked around with Westerners all around us! Fairly interesting place, but my interest in temples wanes by the day over here. The most impressing thing was the world-record breaking Buddha, carved out of one single piece of sandalwood at 26m. That would have been a damn big tree.
Our next stop was the Confucian Temple. More interesting than the Lama Temple, actually, probably because it was dedicated to Confucius and logical principles, instead of Buddhism/Taoism and religious leanings. It was just a totally different perspective. Next to it was the Imperial College which was used in Confucian times by Confucius himself, and then afterwards for teaching his analects to candidates for the Imperial examinations to become cadres. The exhibits were very interesting indeed, and I learnt a lot about Confucius - my knowledge of whom, I realise, was painfully lacking. I hoped there'd still be something left to interest me in his birthplace at Qufu!
Next we set off for the Drum Tower. It was practically impossible to find, but when we did it was 5.05pm. The tower shuts at 5. Something else for the summer then! We flagged a taxi, with a driver who looked remarkably like Buddha. He took us to the good ol' French patisserie - after a fashion waiting in traffic! We had chocolate croissants and I had an amazing hot chocolate. The Italian man asked me whether I'd preferred the thicker or thinner chocolate, the white or milk, the sugar content... everything, then said he'd remember so he could make me the perfect personalised cup for the next time I came. I felt like Tentalus - I had almost reached the ideal Holy Grail of hot chocolate, and it was being taken away by my going to Tianjin the next morning. I could've cried. But consoled myself with a freshly baked French baguette to take away. Wheat intolerance, shwheat intolerance. We went on to Quanjude, a Beijing Roast Duck restaurant.
We chose to go to Hepingmen, where there is a giant Quanjude. We didn't have to queue this time and the room where we ended up was not as nice. Also the duck was a little disappointing; perhaps we'd built it up too much or perhaps we were already sated with Western baked goodness. Either way I finished my half and drank the duck soup, which I'd first tried at Urumqi and not liked (it tasted like toilets smell), but liked here in Beijing. Sadly there was no garlic to make the perfect pancake.
We left exhausted and full, to the point where we could barely walk. We went straight back to the hostel by subway, having become rather dab hands at this by now. After reading in bed and relaxing a bit, Liam and I both decided to get an early night, but Julia was still making a lot of noise and light and we ended up in bed by 11.30pm. I woke up in the night feeling really nauseous but decided to ignore it. I then woke up again not much later retching in my mouth and had to run to the toilets to throw up copious amounts. There's a strong possibility I just overate, but I actually think that the duck doesn't agree with me, because every time I eat it I get some kind of reflex digestive problems. I'm sure y'all wanted to know that. I was half asleep anyway, so just went straight back to bed when I'd cleaned up. I'm getting a bit fed up of constantly throwing up in China but at least after this time I felt no other ill effects, so it probably wasn't food poisoning, and therefore didn't ruin any travel plans!
The distinctive rooftops of Beijing's Lama Temple.
This may come as a bit of a shock to my close friends and family, but I have been keeping a secret from you all. Phew. Here goes... I am actually Confucius.
Biyong Hall (where the emperor gave lectures), in the Confucian Imperial College.
The interior of the Biyong Hall. This was the chair the emperor actually sat in.
The only glazed memorial arch in China that is dedicated to education: it was built to honour the Imperial examination candidates.
All of Confucius' Analects, carved onto stone. It takes an aircraft hangar to house them all.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is how hot chocolate should be done.
Pure and utter heaven. Outside the French Patisserie sniffing freshly baked real bread.
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