Monday 7th August 2017
Well it is our last day so we decided to go out with a bang.
After a slow start and late breakfast we packed up and headed out at 10.45am as after we check out we have no home and we don’t fly out until 11.45 tonight.
As we have been having difficulty getting taxis the short 3km distances to the tourist attractions we decided we would give the subway a go. This was very successful. We caught a total of 8 subways today. All only 3CNY each. So our travel on the subways cost us a total of 24CNY ($5) each today. It was great. They were very frequent and efficient. They are also clean and quiet. The process is seamless to ensure quick transport of millions of people each day. You go through security screening at every station and the ticket scanner works in a 300th of a millisecond.First stop was a walk around the hutongs. This was a walk through the old back alleys, there are a mixture of very old dilapidated housing and more modern and mansions. There is also a shopping strip for the tourists. It was an interesting walk. It ended with a stop in a park near the Bell Tower where we met a teacher and some summer camp students. The teacher used us to practice his English. He was previously an English tour guide so he spoke very well. We also spoke to a couple of the children. They were on Summer Camp from Guilin. After this we caught a couple more subways to the Olympic Park where we saw the Birds Nest and Aquatic Cube. It was very hot. Then we caught another 2 subways to our last show at the Chaoyang Theatre. It was an Acrobatic Show with some incredible talents. Then another 2 subways back to the hotel to collect our luggage and head to the airport. Our taxi was ery cheap to the airport only 100CNY ($20).
We are now at the airport waiting for our flight which was due to depart at 11.45pm. Looks like we won’t be leaving now until 1.40am. We are very weary and are looking forward to boarding as soon as possible. Time to go home for a rest.
It has been a great holiday, it was lovely to see Benny, watch him perform and show Colleen another culture. We really experienced a lot of new things and I am sure she enjoyed herself as much as me.
See you back in Australia soon. XXX.
- My last Asian Breakfast. I have really enjoyed them
- Traffic, traffic, traffic. Lucky we didn’t catch a cab
- My first experience with the ticket machine at the subway station. One of 4 purchases today.
- Colleen waiting for our first ride on the subway
- Queued up ready to go.
- On our first subway
- Awesome arrows keeping people in order so subway can be emptied and filled again with ease.
- Electronic lights indicating where you are and what side the doors will open. Great for the inexperience traveller.
- Hutong driver
- Wiring chaos in the Hutongs
- Transport…
- and more transport
- Nice timber entry in the hutongs
- Fancy restaurant
- Flowers in the alleyway
- Penghao Theatre & Cafe
- Time for a little rest and refuel
- Theatre poster
- Residence in the hutong
- Yoghurt icecreams…
- Display case…
- Mango and Strawberry…
- Vey yummy and refreshing. Ice blocks have been one of the go to foods over the last 10 days, trying to replenish the fluids and give a little energy
- Park in the Hutongs
- Preschool in the hutongs
- Chilli plant I think
- Our school camp friends. They were so excited to talk to us and have a photo with us
- Bell tower in the hutong
- Drum Tower in the hutong
- This Subway wasn’t very crowded, others were standing room only with no space
- Entrance to Beijing Olympic Stadium
- Aquatic Cube
- Bird’s Nest
- Some art
- …and some more art
- Flame runners, torch bearers
- Olympic Flame tower
- …and again, the Olympic flame tower
- Chaoyang Acrobat Theatre
- Motor bike show at Theatre. Eight motorbikes speed within a sphere at incredible speeds. Weaving in and out and upside down.
- Cast of the show
- Outside of the Theatre. They do 3 shows a day.
- Goodbye to our hotel Inner Mongolia Grand Hotel.