I heart Beijing (1 of 2)

I spent exactly a week in Beijing, and I absolutely loved it.  The only thing I didn't like is the cold.  It was very cold in Beijing this time of year, especially because everything to see was outdoors.  So, you find yourself walking several  kilometers(I use kilometers and celcius now - lol!)  everyday in the freezing cold.  I do have to say that I have been really fortunate in that the weather has been mostly clear here.  The first day was really smoggy, and I could see why people made such a big deal about the pollution for the Olympics.  But, honestly, the air seems worse in Korea some days than it has been here in Beijing this week.
I arrived on Saturday afternoon, and I met up with my friends from Korea - Jenna and Josh - at the hostel. We went to the Silk Market - a huge indoor market with stalls selling the things that China is known for fake everything.  Purses, watches, coats, souvenirs...the list goes on.  I was really surprised when we entered the market and immediately we were surrounded by people trying to sell their goods to us.  They are quite overwhelming, grabbing onto our clothes and even our arms to keep us from moving onto another stall.  They always give you their "best price, lady" - about 100 times more than what you should pay.  It is fun, though.  I kept this trip to mostly just traveling, so I didn't buy much. I did return later in the week to get a few more things, but I would love to come back here and spend a lot of money!  Looking is fun though - and there is soooo much to see. The bargaining here is more drastic than anywhere I have been, and they always say "no joke price" when you give them a reasonable offer. So funny!
On Sunday, Jenna, Josh, and I went on a tour of The Forbidden City, Tiananmen square, the Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven.  The Forbidden City is absolutely amazing. It was a long, cold day, but so worth it. At the end of the day we went and ate at a little restaurant around the corner from our hostel - and the food was soooo good. I am not really a huge fan of chinese food - american style. But, the food I ate the entire time in Beijing was wonderful!
Before I go further, I have to comment on the hostel. I love hostels. I have stayed in so many, and have such wonderful memories from those times. This hostel, while it could have been decent, was so disappointing. (Note: I still has a great time while staying at this hostel, it was just a slight bump in the road of a perfect vacation) Jenna, Josh and I were the only people there practically - which if you have ever stayed at a hostel, you know that is a let down. The greatest thing about hostels is getting to meet and hang out with really interesting people. The real deal breaker for me though, was that the hostel was freezing!! Freezing as in the only way to get warm was to take a shower until the hot water ran out. When you are outside and freezing all day, it is the prospect of returning to someplace warm and comfy that gets you through the say. So...I was really excited to move to the hostel I had already booked for the rest of the week. The second hostel really made the rest of my time in Beijing! It was so great! If you ever go to Beijing - stay at Sitting on the City Walls! The people I met were wonderful - some are becoming good friends since Beijing, the location was great, it was warm, and the beds were great! So, with a nice place to stay, the rest of the week just got better and better.
On Monday, I was fighting off a cold and really needed a day to relax, so that is what I did. I slept in, hung around at the hostel, had some ginger honey tea, and got to know some of the people in the hostel. I did get out for a bit in the afternoon. It was nice to be able to have a lazy day, but still feel as though I was taking in the culture of the city.
I am going to finish this later - because I have been working on this much for 2 weeks now. Too busy these days! So, I will be posting more later about the trip.