Ross Schmadebeck

Another early start to the day, but a bit later than the previous days as I wasn't in a huge rush. Over the past three days, I'd seen a great amount of Beijing and was nearing completion of our first city. With just one full day left in the city, I headed out entirely on my own.

 

After reading the guide, I opted to take a walking tour of Hou Hai lakes on the northern side of town. There are shops and several bars located in the area that are open at night. However, in the morning, only the weekend street market was open with individuals pedaling their wares, including everything from souvenirs to replacement parts for phones, kitchen gadgets and general household sundry items

 

 

The nice thing about this tour was at the end on the eastern side of the lakes were the Drum and Bell Towers and several streets of shops. After grabbing a couple quick souvenirs (and finding a smoking clown … WTF?) I headed to the Bell Tower.

 

There weren't many people at the tower temple, but a few police officers guarded it. After the 60 step climb to the top, the view of Beijing city was nice. Additionally, the large cast bronze bell at the top was amazing.

 

Knowing the next day was a travel day, I headed back to the hotel and grabbed lunch at the restaurant across the street. I took the remainder of the afternoon off and relaxed with a beer and a good book.

 

Beijing was a great city and worth the trek to get here. I'm looking forward to visiting and exploring Shanghai.