The Forbidden City

We both had a great sleep, hit the hotel buffet by 9am and were out the door by 10:30.  According to the map, we were very close to the Forbidden City, so we decided to see if we could find our way on foot.  Close to our hotel was a wonderful pedestrian shopping mall that was bustling with people, lights, sounds and action.  It seemed like an exciting place in the morning, which could only mean that it would be thumping at night.

We made our way through a beautiful, serene park, with the "help" of a local.  It was very interesting to experience the contrast of the bustling mall and the relative peacefulness of the park with a little stream running through it.

Somehow, we "stumbled" upon an art shop where the local's group of university students were displaying their work.  Oddly enough, the artwork was for sale and writing my children's name on the silk hangings were free of charge!  What a bargain!

Making our way closer to the Forbidden City through the thickening crowds was made even more interesting with the arrival of the rain.  Thankfully there was a handy vendor with an overflowing bag of goodies in the form of umbrellas, ponchos and block-a-brellas (little umbrellas you wear on your head).  So many people were pushing money into his hot little hands and his assistant was pushing out the merchandise so quickly, that I think I actually got my umbrella for free.

Even with the rain, the crowd was thick, but seemed to lessen once we were through the gates and the expanse of the Forbidden City opened up in front of us.

 Being among relics that were much older than both of our husbands put together was awe inspiring and beautiful.

Our time at the Forbidden City was made even more enjoyable by the fact that Eryl's umbrella broke shortly after she opened it up and she spent much of her time trying to fix it.  I guess you get what you pay for.

 The sea of umbrellas was almost as interesting as the colourful paintings on the buildings. 

 I did manage to snag myself a job while I was there . . . 

 . . . but quickly realized the pay was just not worth it.  Besides, part of the job description was that I had to cut down my own brooms.

 The Wall of Nine Dragons was something I did not remember from my last two visits.

 The Forbidden City is just like owning an old house.  No matter how much renovation and upkeep you do, new problems keep sprouting up.

 The actual throne room was very impressive.

 Finally, after what seemed like forever but was really closer to four hours, we made our way back to the shopping street, without the assistance from locals, and plunked ourselves down for a much deserved drink before heading back to the hotel for a rest.

 Once rejuvenated, we made our way to a restaurant Eryl found in the travel guide that highly recommended it's Peking Duck.  It did not disappoint!  The food at the restaurant was very tasty, but quite artful as well.  We ordered a duck that came complete with it's own chef.  In the picture you will notice he has cut the top layer of skin and fat off the duck.  We were then instructed by our server to take a piece of the skin and dip it into white granular sugar before eating it.  It sounds so bad on so many levels, but it was so good!

The assortment of accompaniments was a little overwhelming, but our server was extremely helpful.

 Eryl was a pro in no time!  First you take the crepe . . .

 . . . and then add the cucumber, melon, onion, garlic and sauce on top of a few slices of duck . . .

. . . and then try to stick in in your mouth with your chopsticks without it all tumbling out of the crepe!  It's a bit of a skill, let me tell you.  The result, however, is delicious.

 Our meal was followed by grapes on dry ice, which was exciting and a fun way to end.

 Making our way through the shopping street was much more of a challenge at night as a few more people had come out of the woodwork to enjoy the cool(ish) night air.

Finally, two weary travellers made their way back to the hotel to crash.  End of Day 1.