Chairman Wah VS The Cicada Suppository

Greetings Thrillseekers!

Welcome to another fun filled Wah Worldview. It will have to be a quick one as we only have a limited amount of time to write.

Yesterday Girlclumsy and I took a rickshaw from the hotel to the Forbidden City *cue spooky lightning effect *!

Rickshaws are great. There is no better feeling in the world than oppressing another human being and making them cycle your fat carcass across a really really huge city. Aaaaah. ;)

The Forbidden City is 750,000 square metres of eastern style castles, halls, gates, gardens and verandahs. With such fantastic names as “Gate of Solar Extract” and “Hall of the All Encompassing Universe” and “Verandah of Mental Cultivation” you can spend days just wandering around marveling (and giggling) at the names. Most of these places were made to house the emperor’s concubines… he either needed a lot of space for his women or they needed a lot of space to get away from him… probably both. One thing you should know about China.. it is full of Chinese tourists! I’m not kidding. They can very rarely get a visa to leave and it would costs a shite load for the visa to get out so millions of Chinese people visit their own country… and they were ALL at the Forbidden City! It would have been a tranquil, serene experience if it wasn’t for all the people! Bloody Tourists! ;). I kept stopping in my tracks ech time I walked through a little arch way and came across a another fantastic building or other… and they haven’t even opened it all up! Have saved loads of money not buying western food (thanks DAD!) and buying cheapy noodles from street vendors. $3 for a small lunch for 2 people? Yes please!

Last night had dinner at the hotel diner. Thought we would splash out (30 Yuan = $6 AUD) and bought three plates of food. (Rice, Vegetables and Mushrooms and Chicken (for the Girlclumsy carnivore)) SO MUCH FOOD WAS DELIVERED.. we couldn’t even make a dent in it!

Today we got up early and made our way back to Tienamen square (thanks Rickshaw!) and into the long cue for the Chairman Mao tomb. 1 hour later in the hot hot sun with a million Chinese people and Chinese guards yelling at us with their loudhailers we trooped into see Mao. His floor shw was incredible! Who would have thought the old guy could still breakdance?!? No no.. he is still dead. In fact he looked very waxy and under the weather. I think they must be having a hard time keeping the old boy together. And after the body of Mao room, where the leader of the modern china communism lies, iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis.. A GIFT SHOP! God help me… I love communism.. hehehe

WE also walked (oh god how we have walked!) to the White Pagoda in the Beihai Park This is a 39 hectare park that used to be the private domain of the emperors, but is now a fantastic garden for all to enjoy.

Hjmmm… Cicada suppositories.. argh! Across Beijing everyone seems to own these toys. They are actually called Rattlesnakes and they are two magnetized lozenge shape metal baubles you throw in the air. They make thjis terrible rattle/scream noise.. and it really gets to me.. especially when every Chinese person seems to own them and keeps throwing them near me! Argh!

Gotta go! One last thng. Everyone keeps looking at and photographing GirlClumsy! She is my White Ghost Woman!
It may be some tim til my next entry… MONGOLIA AWAITS!