It can't be a month already can it??!!

Putting Beijing in Persective...

The updates continue...

On Sat (5th April) we decided to get some fresh air (what a novelty!), and head out of Beijing for an afternoon out n' about. So we took a cab (gee I luv saying that!) to a park on the outskirts of Beijing (like the Adelaide Hills I suppose), called Ba Da Chu Park.

(Beijing Badachu Park ( The Eight Great Temples in the Western Hills ) is a Buddhism temple park with a long history and abundant historical relics. Hundreds of years, the landscape is famous for "Three Hills, Eight Temples, Twelve Scenes". The Park got its name from eight ancient temples which are well preserved in conditions.)

Once there we embarked on a 'stroll' up the mountain - about 460meters up - for a great view of Beijing. I was gullible enough to believe that 'hill hiking makes your boby feel as light as a feather'...

Well it turned out that my 'boby' ended up feeling as heavy as a ton o' bricks once we reached the top and I had to question how it is that heading up a hill is said to be a 'stroll', and heading down and around it is likened to a 'hike'!
It's all about the journey though, so they say, and the stroll up was interesting in itself yet overwhelmingly Buddist in nature. Temples...incense...statues...a nunnery...flying fox...cable cars...icecream...noodles... All in all, an afternoon well spent.
On Sun we visited yet another gathering of foreign Christians in Beijing called 'Next'.

It was held upstairs in a cafe, with about 80 people there, a lack of sitting space, but a great vibe. We scored a couch so 10/10 for comfort. 'Next' is a branch of BICF but we were made to feel much more at home in this smaller and more casual environment - although the smell of pizzas, hamburgers, fries, bakery items and such must have also had an effect on us...

We heard about a great work that's going on through some of the members there, providing shelter, work and job training for girls willing to come out of prostitution. Michelle got involved that afternoon with some of the volunteers making jewerly for the girls to later copy, make, and then hopefully sell.

Lunch was a winner too. We ate with some of the people we had met there, at a Mexican resturant - I had a TEXAS WHOPPER! It was quite literally the best burger I've had in a long time. Big, tasty and maybe even good for me! Michelle had a great burrito too. I'm not eating for 2 days just to compensate...not!
Sun Arvo I went with James (I guy I had met at NEXT), to the Temple of Heaven. Well, it was grand, structually amazing for its age, and made for another good not-much-needed-stroll. Once again the signage was...well...ummm...

Just take note of the ends and beginnings of each line...

I don't think they were using microsoft WORD 2003... Anyway - it's worth checking out and admiring some amazing Chinese architechure.
Even if they can't makes any English sense...

What the...?!!!

Before I try and get my head around that one, I'll say over n' out for now and until next time, eat a pie for me!

Ps. Check out all our pics here.

Pss. In Beijing more than 50 people were fined over the past week for spitting in the streets of Beijing and refusing to correct the bad habit, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.Beijing has outlawed spitting, queue-jumping, littering and other conduct likely to tarnish the city's image when it hosts next year's Olympics...Want to read more?