Day 4 Beijing

Day four turns out very differently than I had planned. Since parks, palaces and temples all close around 5 pm I didn't have time to do them all on day three. So I took this day to finish the temple and palace tour. First off is the Lama temple. I don't really see that much of the lama temple as today is even colder than yesterday. I kid you not, it is freeze your face off cold, I feel like I could break off my nose if I wanted too and I walk quickly and spend as much time as I can in doors. The Lama temple turns out to be, at least for someone like me who has seen a few temples before, just your standard temple.

 

Next up is the temple of heaven. I get off at the right subway station go out, and immediately enter a store as some extra cold grips me. Having reloaded on heat in the store for a little while I venture out too the temple, which is situated in the middle of a nice park full of evergreens. This one is actually a bit special – some say a sign for Beijing - since it is perfectly circular and, apparently built by nothing but joinery, not a single nail in its wood. I like the circular shape but it is slightly too colorful for my taste. I prefer simpler thing and cleaner, less garish colors. Those of you who will see my pictures from this trip will see a number of pictures of me, slowly freezing to death, trying to find a nice place to do so. Despite the rather garish colors and the cold the park with its trees surrounding the ancient buildings makes it nice to be here. I have to admit I went into the gift shop by my own free will. I am usually not a gift shop type person but since it offered a respite from the cold I was hugely glad it was there so I could spend a few minutes pretending to look at the stuff, while getting warm.

I heard there was some kind of under ground city or under ground palace, but I didn't know exactly where. So I did what I could to find it, I went to the correct area with the subway and, popping in and out of stores to keep my face from falling off, asked around for it at different hotels until I finally was told that it was closed . Slightly sad that I had missed out and with the time nearing closing time for palaces I found it would not be worth trying to go anywhere else. Instead I did the usual evening routine, fighting with the silk market merchants.