The adventure began as we (me and my two Dutch running buddies, Alain and Paul) flew into Beijing from Hangzhou. We were met in the airport by an event organizer who escorted us (and a handful of other expats) via minibus up into the mountains.

Our Lodging by the Wall

OK, so the bathrooms certainly didn't have 4 star toilets, but you couldn't beat the location. This hotel/lodging was right beside the main event area (we didn't have to catch the 3am shuttle like the runners staying in Beijing) - and practically connected with the Great Wall itself.

The Great Wall - Race Day

While the clouds above looked ominous, the weather turned out to be perfect - cool and shaded.

While I was typing this, Marathon-Photos.com sent me an email trying to sell me photos of this funny-looking runner.

My compadres left me after the race (having already been to Beijing many times, they opted to immediately fly back to Hangzhou), and after a short visit to the medic area (turns out I got dehydrated during the race), I left for the big city.

Tiannamen Square

I have to admit, having read so much about it without seeing it before, I imagined something very different. My first impression was that it was very small. Having since investigated further, I think much of that is because of the streets that cross through it, the memorials set up in the middle of it, and the massively huge buildings that flank its perimeter.

Good feeling though, and it was fun to watch the Chinese tourists, kite-flyers, and the flag ceremony (they don't fold their flag like we do - the whip it around into some crazy Boy Scout knot thing).

Summer Palace

On Sunday I met up with my Aussie friend Jon (we met in the KFC on Wanfunjing the night before) and we set out to find the Summer Palace. This wonderful area, reminiscent of the West Lake in Hangzhou, was made possible from embezzled funds that the Empress Dowager Ci Xi stole from the government. Yes, instead of building a navy that could have won the war against the Japanese, she had them make a lovely, utterless useless, marble boat you see pictured below.

I could not have asked for better weather. The feeling there was sublime.

Forbidden City

The Forbidden City is super rad, even despite the hype and what some people say. The truth is, its so flippin' huge (and at times somewhat sparsely occupied, as much of it was gutted by the Nationalists when they fled to Taiwan) that after an hour you've seen so much that it all starts looking the same, and the "wow" factor has worn off a bit. If you go to Beijing: 1) definitely go to the Forbidden City, 2) definitely do the audio tour, and 3) don't plan on spending the whole day there.

Having failed to see Mao that morning (the memorial where you can see his embalmed remains is closed on Mondays), I was one of the first to enter the Forbidden City. I hear crowds can be horrendous, but at times, I felt I had the place all to myself. That's another hint for you: avoid weekends and go early.

Behai Park

Just northwest of the Forbidden City.

Temple of Heaven

A huge forested sanctuary near the center of the city. Unfortunately, the temple area was closed for construction, but I thoroughly enjoyed strolling through the park and taking some time to relax.

Great Hall of the People

This is the meeting place for the National People's Congress, and many rooms have different themes representing different provinces. I liked this building very much.

Beijing Ancient Observatory

I wouldn't put this on my top ten list for places to see in Beijing, but it was close to the train station and the only thing that happened to be open past 4pm that I could visit. It was mildly interesting, and would have been more so had I an English-speaking astronomy buff (although they did have a museum section with a few English captions).

Ritai Park

I still had some time to kill before my train home, so I checked out the nearby Ritai Park, which the 2005 edition of "Lets Go - China" describes as "one of Beijing's most pleasant parks". It was quite impressive, as you can see by the picture I took.

Random City Shots

A few random shots of the city. I liked the architecture of the train station (second to last pic) and the museum (last pic).