Day 1 - Arrived in Beijing 21/12/2013

After a long train ride, the decent was more relaxed than getting on the train.  It was still dark when we got there and as soon as you walk out of the station you have taxi drivers haggling for you to use their service.  Needless to say, they are not the registered and metered kind of taxi's.  So we haggled a prices less than what he was wanting and at least we all stayed together as he had a venture.  And so he took us to our hotel / hostel.  It was very nice.  We booked 2x four bed dorms.  We had our own bathrooms as well.  And a fantastic price as well.  I will definitely go back to this hotel / hostel.  Its called Kings Joy International Hotel / Hostel.

Once we were checked in we went to sleep for a couple of hours.  We didn't sleep well on the train, especially when the train has to start and stop of about 17 stations.

 The girls enjoying their sleep.

 Part of our room we stayed in.

 The bathroom.

Paul and I left the girls sleeping and went for a walk about before we bought the some breakfast/lunch and coffee to take back to them.

At the entrance of the hotel / hostel.  After eating we got up and waited for Stephen in the reception area.  This was around 3pm.

 South Africa's flag is there.

 The reception area.

 The elevator to the 4th floor where our room was.  On the right was the business area, to book taxi's and any tours you want to go on.

Once Stephen arrived he checked in and we went to have lunch and Mac Donalds.  We went sightseeing at Tiananmen Square.  Then Stephen took us on the subway to Wangfujing to do some sightseeing there.

 And it was cold.  Promise.

 The entrance to the subway.

The pictures below are the start of Tiananmen Square. 

Tiananmen Square is the largest public square in the world.   The square can hold over one million people.

 Tiananmen Square

 Picture below is of the monument of the people's hero's.

Picture below is of the Forbidden City

 

Then sightseeing at Wangfujing.  

 There were so many people.

 

 

We then went back to the backpackers for a little rest while Paul and Stephen left to go and pick up Anton, Sanchia and Erin from the Beijing International Airport.  When they got to the Hotel / Hostel, after all the excitement of seeing each other after six months and checking in, we went for dinner at a local restaurant just next door.    And the food was good.  Then it was catch up time with coffee in the rooms.