bustlin' around beijing

hey loves!

so this week i went to beijing and i'm happy to report that: 1- i did not almost get deported. 2- i got a chance to climb the great wall. 3- i had the time of my life. 
so basically, it was everything that shanghai was not, lol. and although i loved shanghai, in my opinion, beijing is a much better city. i loved the atmosphere of the city- it lacked the pretentiousness of shanghai, and the historical landmarks are really beautiful.

i planned on doing this trip with a friend of mine, who couldn't come at the last moment *le sigh* solo travelling has it's ups and downs- one of the reasons i like being alone when i travel is the ability to stay as long (or short) as you want at a particular location. i like to wander around the city and get lost. some of the BEST discoveries i have made in china, were by accident. the thing about travelling solo is you have to hope someone is nice enough to take your photo. i shot most of these pics, except the one's i'm in.

the train station stop on the number 4 line

Tiananmen Square

inside the Forbidden City, temple of Empress Dowager

the ceiling of the Temple... a pure gold dragon in the center

inside the Forbidden City 

last minute Great Wall travel buddies! Sophie & Yan

sitting on the Great Wall of China.

View of The Great Wall from Tower 3. the climb was HARD

scorpions on a stick. Wangfujing snack street. Yummy?

Lama Temple entrance

goddess of love

chinese lion. protector of the temple

Temple of Heaven... Amazing sight!

the BEST dessert in China. mango custard

Peking Duck. Beijing Speciality

Yukey and I. She is the woman who is responsible for my job in China. I adore her!