Ministry in Australia

OBTAINED ONLY TRANSIT VISA RUSSIA ARRIVING MOSCOW 10 JULY TRYING STAY THERE TWO DAYS IF POSSIBLE SUGGEST YOU ARRIVE METROPOLE ORBIS HOTEL TWELVETH AND WAIT MAXIMUM

TWO DAYS OUR COST. + MUMDAD

From 30 June we had time to do all the touristy things in and around Beijing. The Tiantan (Temple of Heavenly Peace) was just within walking distance from our hotel. I remembered it from my visit in 1964 with its most beautiful deep blue/azure tiled roof and splendid white marble, a most unforgettable place. The Tienanmen Square was absolutely immense, the embalmed Mao Zedong quite life-like. Through the Tienanmen gate we entered the forbidden city, which once served as the imperial palace. The golden/yellow tiled roofs with royal red and green painted wooden structures looked in excellent condition. Most of it was built in 1420. There were many buildings, reception halls, temples, royal quarters, offices and others. We also saw an exhibition of some beautiful crown jewels. The man-made mountain on the northern side with three pagodas gave us a beautiful overview of the Imperial city and of a good part of Beijing.

The Summer Palace about 12 km outside the city was also most impressive with its beautiful lake and park and the Ming-style buildings. And to think that all this was created by the Empress from syphoned off funds which had been budgeted for the navy! Good to know that corruption is a world-wide phenomenon.

For 15 yuan each we caught an airconditioned bus, which took us on a tour of the Great Wall and the Ming Tombs, from early morning till late afternoon. On this bus we met a German couple, Nicholas and Birgit Bocter. They were very friendly. We were to meet them again later. The ancient and gigantic wall is the only man-made structure that can be seen from the moon, we were told. The building of it was begun in 221 BC against the Mongol invaders. The bricks had to carry the name of the brickmaker, to ensure good craftsmanship. The top forms a road which is wide enough to hold five horsemen abreast, now about 15 tourists. Its total length is approximately 6,000 km, much of it now in bad repair, apart from the section we visited. Climbing up the steep side, the much less travelled road, we were reminded of our climb of Ayers Rock, but with the balustrades on either side it didn't affect me in the same way.

Food in Beijing was easy to obtain. There were lots of restaurants. For 'auld langsyne' we went one night to the Xinqiao for dinner, the hotel I had stayed in 1964. But for a few people the restaurant was empty, and the food was very mediocre. One night we dined for 30 yuan each ($12) in a Beijing Duck Restaurant. Whilst this was the most expensive dinner we had in China, it was also the best. The roast duck was superb. The waiter showed us how to wrap the meat inside the pancake with sauce and spring onions. I had never tasted a duck as tender and juicy as that before.

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