Towerwalking

<![CDATA[

Beijing, China

Today we started of with a little walk to the ”Three Stone Kite Shop”. They make and sell the most beautiful kites, from 100 RNB to thousands of RNB´s. It´s tough being a backpacker sometimes, you can´t always get what you want 😦
After that we went on to the pharmacy ”The Happy Elephant” and got some ”Ibuprophen”-lookalikes. I hope they do the same work because we´re out of painkillers after all our colds and flus.
Next stop was the ”China Post”, we had to send some of our luggage to Hobart. A package weighing 5,5 kg only cost us 501,80 RNB+3 RNB to the customs boys.
Being a lovely winterday everyone was on the ice with all kind of contraptions, icebicycles, icechairs, skates you name it.
Then we came to Yandai Xiejie a short shopingstreet full of teashops, scarfshops and cafés. This led us to todays object of our desire, The Bell and Drum towers.
These old ”Timetellers” have their origins in the 13:th century and they are very impressive when you come up close. We payed a small fee for the two towers and entered the drumtower first. In through the doorway and there were these stairs 69 steps at a 45´ angle up to the drums. Me not being 100% yet sounded like an a steamboat when I got up, but it was well worth the effort. What a lovely view, a clear day, blue skies and Beijing at your feet. We could see the olympic fire, the tv-tower, the mountains in the far and the hutongs.
The Bell tower was pretty much the same but with on huge bell instead of 25 huge drums. Same stairs up and down. Almost the same views.
After all this climbing we needed something sweet so why not some fairyfloss in the shape of flowers, great.
Tomorrow we´re gonna meet up with the next gang of travellers, that will be interesting.

]]>