On Sunday afternoon one, very jet lagged, mother of mine will be arriving in Beijing. She is in for a serious culture shock but I don't think she'll miss a beat. This place is awesome and I've gotten to know it all pretty well so we should be in for a great time.
I've had a crazy time this week. The Workers Week holiday started on Tuesday and the whole of Beijing has been chaos ever since. On Tuesday I guided some Canadians on a bicycle trip out to the Summer Palace (took about 2 hrs each way!). While the ride was a great adventure, the destination was mad. Thousands upon thousands of Chinese and other tourists had descended on the place. After that I figured sightseeing is a no go this week. In the end though that conclusion was a moot point as my hostel has been packed with travelers and every night has been a thrash. The resultant hangovers ruled out any serious touring anyway! Every day I vow not to have another drink, and then it turns out some good bud is leaving and we have to send him off, or in the case of last night, a great buddy back home gets engaged, and I have to throw my own celebration for him. Congrats again Tep and Banx!
Hiring bicycles in the hutong. I actually have to think about selling mine soon...
A bookseller takes it easy on a Sunday afternoon.
One of my neighbours in the hutong.
The infamous dog restaurant owner. He looks exactly like Mr Miyagi from Karate Kid!
The crowds at the Summer Palace!
But its still a beautiful spot for a sunny day...
And the top of the hill provides some awesome views back over the city.
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