Mountains!

ETA: This post is a wee bit late. I wrote it last night, but didn't have internets to post it up. I still think I've techically kept my 'one-a-day' promise...

So, I might have sounded a little out of it in my last entry. Fear not, gentle readers! I woke up this morning at 6am after a solid 12 hours of sleep, feeling ready to face the day. My inestimable roommate, Aileen, let me take a good long look at something I really should have invested in before: a tourist map. Armed with this new knowledge, a good night’s sleep and a new understanding of Beijing’s (actually quite lovely) subway system, the whole city was my oyster! Mine for the exploring, mine for the taking!

But not today. Today, I climbed a mountain.

It’s thanks again to Aileen, really. She said she was going to this temple an hour and a half outside of the city, and would I be interested in coming? With nothing really better to do, I said yes. It was the best decision I could have made, guys. This place was gorgeous; serene, beautiful, woody and mountainous.

We made friends with some of the locals…

…and headed to a place called the 12 Animals Garden; a long winding pathway interspersed with the animals of the Zodiac. I chilled with the tiger…

…and hung out with the bear!

Then the interesting part: we decided to take a look at the part of the temple a little way up the mountain. Or so we thought. Turns out that ‘a little way’ turned into a good few hours’ steep climbing. It was a tough trek…

…but the views were spectacular.

All told, it was totally worth it. We took the quick route (!) back down the mountain and swore we’d never climb another step. Then we headed back into Beijing, and spent the evening in a very cool place called the Wangfujin district. More on that later. For now, I’ll just say that… well… if anybody ever tries to make you eat a cricket, laugh in their face and RUN. Blech.

Today, I got to chill out for a good few hours in a remote, peaceful place, away from the craziness of the city. Tomorrow I meet the BBC peoples. I’m excited: I think that if today taught me anything, it’s that I need something to do that’ll last the whole day or I’ll be paralyzed with indecision. Hopefully, they can provide some kind of structure for me!

It’s been a brilliant first day in Beijing.