10 Feb Two weeks down, two weeks to go
As I have just come to the realisation that in two weeks I’ll be home and getting ready to start uni again, I think it’s a perfect time to start looking back on all of the amazing activities that we’ve done so far!
Last weekend saw us heading to Wuxi for an overnight trip! What an amazing place that was! With a more traditional vibe than Shanghai, this was the side of China that I was looking forward to seeing the most! I feel as though that is what China is really like, compared to the westernised city of Shanghai! When we first got to Wuxi, we headed to an old temple that had a lovely marketplace outside. Traditional food and clothing stores were supplemented with live entertainment to create a truly magical atmosphere! I loved exploring this arena whilst eating fairy floss whilst laughing and having a great time with the other interns! This is the traditional China that I remembered from my last trip here – I guess because that it was so different to the Western culture that I am so used to. But this is also the China that I fell in love with!
We headed to the hot springs spa after lunch, and after some brief confusion about how much/little clothing was required to be worn (several of the boys thought that they’d have to be nude) we boiled ourselves until we were prunes and ready to enter the brisk air again. The next day we headed to the Three Kingdoms – a feudal Chinese themed amusement park! I found this place really interesting, generating interest in traditional Chinese culture through tourism. We watched a re-enactment of a medieval fight with jousting, catapults and everything else you can think of!
It was time to say goodbye to Wuxi and get ready for our unexpected trip to Beijing!
Whilst I had been to Beijing before, I was so looking forward to going back there and being a tourist again! Last time I was there, I spent more time rehearsing for performances than actually seeing the sights, so I was very excited to see Beijing in a more relaxed atmosphere!
The first afternoon when we arrived in Beijing, we headed to the Summer Palace. Whilst it was so beautiful and serene, it was absolutely freezing! So cold that the man-made lake had basically completely frozen over – pretty ironic for the ‘Summer’ palace! We spent some time exploring there and then headed home to get ready for our night out at the most famous Peking Duck restaurant in the world! It was so worth it! I love Peking Duck and it’s safe to say that it was the best I have ever had!
The next morning we were lucky enough to explore one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world – the Great Wall of China. Whilst I’d been there before, this time was completely different! Exploring a whole new section of the wall, we took our time walking up and down, taking photos and simply taking in the scenery! What an adventure that was!
That afternoon we quickly explored the Temple of Heaven and then hit up the Pearl Markets to fit in some much needed retail therapy! It really was shopping heaven!!
On our final day in Beijing we ventured out to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. For me that was a completely surreal experience! Reminiscing about the last time I was in that exact place, playing in the Beijing Olympic Orchestra for a breakfast television show, I was taken back a few years and all of the memories came flooding back! What a fantastic place it is and how spoilt I am to be privileged enough to visit it twice in my lifetime so far!
Before we boarded the train back to Shanghai, we took a quick trip to the Olympic Village to have our moment pretending to be famous athletes. Then it was back to reality and back to work in our much loved Shanghai! Whilst I only have two weeks left, I am going to make the most of the time I have left exploring and living in Shanghai.
That’s all folks! Until next time 🙂
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