Belated Beijing Trip

As I'm sure you all know, I took my first trip to the Orient a few weeks ago.  Sorry for taking so long to really talk about it, besides posting my disturbing picture of my back a few posts ago, then another disturbing photo of a garlic clove in someone's ear.

Well, I am fully back into the daily grind, but really wishing I were still on vacation.  China was a great experience, one I am glad to have a great friend who lives there and speaks the language, otherwise I don't know how we would have survived.  Especially me, being vegetarian.  I was a little naive going into China, thinking that most people would at least know some English.  This was not the case.  My friend Katie was around most of the time and her boyfriend (who is Chinese) spoke English well enough to help us as well.

My favorite things about Beijing:  Nan Luoguxiang, which Katie's boyfriend calls "rocker street" and literally knows everyone and every shop and bar in the area.  Tasting and buying tea at the East Market.  The guy we bought it from was so passionate about tea it was inspiring.  The Great Wall, especially the less touristy part that Katie took us to because after you hike up, you get to ride a tobaggon back down to the village below.  Overall the whole trip was really awesome and I'm glad to have friends in many places across the globe to share these experiences with.