Mao and me

Here we are in Starbucks Beijing, amongst the endless high street shops and conspicuous consumption (though you may be pleased to hear the Starbucks in the Forbidden City has been closed), on our iPhones, surrounded by people with iPhones. The facebook app isn’t working though…

We had an interesting visit to the Forbidden City and nearby landmarks today but more on that when we get to Mongolia.

Mainly though, we have been eating and eating, and learning to cross the road. This is a complicated business requiring considerable courage and excellent spacial awareness, so needless to say I would probably be hospitalised by now without Ben. You weave between the traffic, picking gaps which allow traffic to pass in front and behind you! Like Frogger.

I think Ben mentioned our insane five-hour Xi’an bike ride but he didn’t mention my favourite part, when the bemused stallholders in the market gave up trying to sell anything to us and started haggling to buy the bikes!