I finally reached Beijing, the last stop on my Trans-Siberian trip which included Russia and Mongolia.  Beijing is an amazing city (less its heavy air pollution)…I call it organized chaos.  It fascinates me how a city with so many people can function so efficiently.  The streets are cluttered with locals who don’t waste anytime getting to their destination.  They cross busy intersections as if they were transparent beings immune to vehicles.  Even the dogs have learned how to do this.  But what really impressed me the most was their innovative ways to advertise everywhere possible in China, including subways.  The walls of subway tunnels in between stations are paved with dozens of digital screens one after another so that commercials can be viewed through the windows as the subway is traveling at high speeds.  Ok a bit in your face but still a brilliant concept.  Throughout the streets of Beijing, there are several narrow alleyways called Hutongs that are worth walking through and exploring.  This will give you a fresh insight into local daily life.  There are several street markets that sell a variety of local cuisine.  The food is unique to say the least.  Live scorpions on a stick, toasty tarantulas, and slimy worms were just a few of the options available to eat on the streets.  Though I normally try local dishes, I think this time around my stomach probably would not have been able to handle it.

The main attraction of course is the The Forbidden City, so grandiose that it deserves to be a city in its own right.  The amount of detail on the walls, doors, and roofs is mind blowing.  Spending half a day here only scrapes the surface, but taking it all in can be a bit overwhelming.  Outside of Beijing lies the Great Wall of China, running almost 7,000 km (about 4,000 miles) it is the longest building structure on Earth.  Climbing the wall can be more challenging than you think and the farther you get away from the main tourist entrance, the more beautiful and authentic the wall gets.  Plus, there are less people on the wall which can be a blessing considering that it’s a tourist trap.

Watching the sunset on the wall was a great way to cap an exciting adventurous trip that began in Moscow and took 21 days to complete.  There is more to see in China and a return visit is sure to be in the planning, including the Li River, Shanghai, Hong Kong and everything in between.