Travelogue - Beijing, Sights & Sounds

In April, I found myself on a plane, heading to Beijing. I was filled with anxiety because to put it simply, my Mandarin has deteriorated after years of not using it. Thankfully, the recesses of my brain still kept hold of all the words and phrases drilled into my throughout my years of education. 

We spent the first day exploring the Silicon Valley of Beijing and roaming around. There were no concrete plans due to our lack of sleep (oh, night flights). 

On one night, we decided to check out the Olympic stadiums before dinner, and there were a sight to behold! They were in their lighted glory with crowds trying to snap photos of them. 

Travelogue - Great Wall of China

In April, I visited China for the first time. China's only a few hours away from Singapore, and yet I've never given much thought about visiting it. 

Prior to my trip, I did have certain apprehensions. Was I going to be able to communicate with the locals in my halting Mandarin? Would the city be crowded and jam packed with people? Were the people there friendly? More importantly, what was the toilet situation like. I honestly did not know what to expect. Nonetheless, I decided to ultimately toss my worries aside and conquer the Forbidden City. 

I visited the Great Wall on my second day in Beijing, which was a Friday. Luckily for us, it wasn't too crowded, but there were lots of children on school trips. After much research and deliberation (because of transportation and communication issues) we decided to head to the Mutianyu Section of the wall.