Trans-Siberian - China: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:TS-DSC 2401.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Night Market]] | [[Image:TS-DSC 2401.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Night Market]] | ||
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[[Image:TS-DSC 3003a.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Beijing Traffic]] | |||
[[Image:TS-DSC 3005.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Smog over Beijing]] | |||
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{{Trans-SiberianMoreInfo2|Mutianyu|Great_Wall}} | |||
==Great Wall== | |||
The next morning we got up early for a 70km bus ride to the Great Wall at a spot called Mutianyu. We climbed up to the Wall on a ridge and spent a couple of hours wandering between the towers. The Great Wall is an unbelievable structure - it stretches about 6000km and along our stretch was about 7 metres high and 4 metres wide.{{clear}} | |||
[[Image:TS-DSC 3007.jpg|thumb|left|133px|Climbing to the Wall]] | |||
[[Image:TS-DSC 3037a.jpg|thumb|left|133px|Walking the Wall]] | |||
[[Image:TS-DSC 3018.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Wall]] | |||
{{clear}} | |||
[[Image:TS-DSC 3031.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Wall]] | |||
[[Image:TS-DSC 3065.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Wall in the Mountains]] | |||
{{clear}} | |||
{{Trans-SiberianMorePhotos|Trans-Siberian - More from China|China}} | |||
To get down, we had an exciting ride down a toboggan ride (twice!). | |||
[[Image:TS-DSC 3076.jpg|thumb|left|133px|'Tobogganing is Simple']] | |||
[[Image:TS-DSC 3090.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Riding down from the Great Wall]] | |||
{{clear}} | |||
{{Trans-SiberianMoreInfo|Forbidden_City}} | |||
==Forbidden City== | |||
After busing back to Beijing, I headed off by myself for a walk through of the Forbidden City. Not knowing much of the history, I mostly admired the ornate and colourful wooden buildings. | |||
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[[Image:TS-DSC 3101.jpg|thumb|left|300px]] | |||
[[Image:TS-DSC 3104.jpg|thumb|left|300px]] | |||
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[[Image:TS-DSC 3124.jpg|thumb|left|300px]] | |||
[[Image:TS-DSC 3133.jpg|thumb|left|133px]] | |||
[[Image:TS-DSC 3137.jpg|thumb|left|133px]] | |||
{{clear}} | |||
==Departure== | |||
After a dinner of Peking Duck, we settled into a roof top lounge for cocktails and visiting for our last evening as a group. We had a beautiful view out over the city with construction cranes swinging over our heads as we enjoyed the evening. It was hard to believe that our journey together was over already. | |||
[[Image:TS-DSC 3139.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Overloaded bicycle]] | |||
[[Image:TS-DSC 3144.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Evening patio]] | |||
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The next morning, I shared a cab with George and Ann to the airport for my flight to Vancouver via San Francisco. Because of the timezones and date line, I arrived in Vancouver before I left Beijing. My whole family was there to meet me at the airport. | |||
[[Image:TS-DSC 3174.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Instant noodles on the plane]] | |||
[[Image:TS-DSC 3185.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Vancouver]] | |||
{{clear}} | |||
{{Trans-SiberianMorePhotos|Trans-Siberian - More from China|China}} | |||
.. | ''After arriving in Vancouver, I spent about 10 days visiting my family and touring southern British Columbia with my girlfriend before flying home to Toronto. See pictures from [[Trans-Siberian - British Columbia|British Columbia]].'' | ||
Revision as of 15:00, 2 September 2006
| Trans-Siberian Trip |
| St. Petersburg and Moscow |
| ... more photos |
| The Trans-Siberian |
| Siberia |
| The Trans-Mongolian |
| ... more photos |
| The Ger Camp |
| ... more photos |
| China |
| ... more photos |
We arrived in Beijing by train in the afternoon and went for a walking tour of the city. The next day we travelled to the Great Wall and I toured the Forbidden City in the afternoon. The next morning I flew from Beijing back to Canada.
Train to Beijing
Having left Ulaanbaatar in the morning, we spent a day and a half on the train heading south and east to Beijing. The first day was spent crossing some low mountains and then the Gobi Desert.
The border crossing between Mongolia and China took several hours but was broken up by the changing of the wheels. Russia and Mongolia use 5ft broad gauge track, while China uses 4'8.5" standard gauge. Rather than moving passengers between carriages, the Chinese left the carriages (and passengers) in the air and replace the wheels.
When we woke up the next morning in China, the train was climbing up to cross the mountains about 100km from Beijing. We crossed under the Great Wall in a 2km tunnel and then begin the descent into Beijing.
Beijing
| Wikipedia Links: |
| Beijing |
| Tiananmen_Square |
After freshening up at our hotel, we went for a walking tour of central Beijing, including the Tiananmen Square and some shopping streets and finishing with a delicious dinner.
| Wikipedia Links: |
| Mutianyu |
| Great_Wall |
Great Wall
The next morning we got up early for a 70km bus ride to the Great Wall at a spot called Mutianyu. We climbed up to the Wall on a ridge and spent a couple of hours wandering between the towers. The Great Wall is an unbelievable structure - it stretches about 6000km and along our stretch was about 7 metres high and 4 metres wide.
| ... more photos from China |
To get down, we had an exciting ride down a toboggan ride (twice!).
| Wikipedia Link: |
| Forbidden_City |
Forbidden City
After busing back to Beijing, I headed off by myself for a walk through of the Forbidden City. Not knowing much of the history, I mostly admired the ornate and colourful wooden buildings.
Departure
After a dinner of Peking Duck, we settled into a roof top lounge for cocktails and visiting for our last evening as a group. We had a beautiful view out over the city with construction cranes swinging over our heads as we enjoyed the evening. It was hard to believe that our journey together was over already.
The next morning, I shared a cab with George and Ann to the airport for my flight to Vancouver via San Francisco. Because of the timezones and date line, I arrived in Vancouver before I left Beijing. My whole family was there to meet me at the airport.
| ... more photos from China |
After arriving in Vancouver, I spent about 10 days visiting my family and touring southern British Columbia with my girlfriend before flying home to Toronto. See pictures from British Columbia.
