Not another travel Blog

I`m having an awesome time here, the day trip to the great wall is easily one of the highlights of the entire trip so far. I`d signed onto the trip through the hostel. I originally just wanted to it on my own but it didn`t cost much more and at least it meant everything was sorted, the start time was 5:50 though which didn`t fit quite so well with my now somewhat lazy routine.
The walk was around a 10k hike between Jinshanling to Simatai, i didn`t want to do the usual Badaling bit as it just sounds horribly overrun with people and street sellers. I wanted to actually feel like i walked a bit of it rather than just go get the postcard style photograph, than come back. Also this was far more remote and the extra effect it would take would mean no chance of the dreaded "American family"





The ride there is just over 3 hours, and not the comfiest 3 hours either, about 10 of us cramped in this pretty tiny van, then add in some insane driving.
The walk itself was stunning, i mean really stunning, for such initial high hopes the fact i was in no way disappointed is testament to how cool this place is. You got to walk on original wall and at times had views from in front and behind where you couldn`t see a single person. By the end you where genuinely knackered and this huge zipline that you take to cross the river was a ridiculous amount of fun. They also chucked in a quick buffet before the 3 hour return journey.
We got back for half 7 and the hostel was having its daily event sort of thing. Monday (today) they have a free BBQ, Thursday is a sort of tea party and Friday `walk day` it was dumpling making, so we got the chance to fill up on these amazing dumplings. This, as food and beer usually does, drew a bit of a crowd and got everyone chatting and having a laugh. We`d also had a few beers by this time so when the suggestion to go to wangfujing market to eat scorpion came up it sounded like a pretty good idea. I tried pretty much everything put in front of me from, snake skin to sheep penis, scorpion was actually the only one that had a decent taste as all the others just made me want to vomit.
Back at hostel we all stayed up chatting about the nights events and then 24 hours after waking, i crashed out on my bed. Definitely a good day.





I was too tired to do anything the following day so apart from going for a Chinese hotpot with a lad from the hostel i really just sat around and enjoyed a day off.
The guy serving us did give us a proper laugh though as he came over and said i looked like "big ham" we obviously had no idea what that meant, but the guy was persistent and kept saying "big ham" "big ham" i tried helping him out by saying "like a pig?" (not sure why i said that?) but he then pointed at his feet and said "footballer" "ahhhh, beckham?" "yes, big ham"... quality! i was happy with that, despite the lack of any truth in it, he became my favourite person for a short while :)
Oh actually i did so something, Ben, a roommate who`d just checked in said he was off to a couchsurfing party and if i`d like to come with. So i ended up playing guitar hero at some girls house, drinking this 56% rice/vodka wierd drink, at some point dancing in a club and making it home alone. None of which i can really remember, and i`m only able to write this as i`ve been informed since with pictures and videos of the night from ben.


The 2 of us sat around in pain for the entirety of the next day with only a trip to the Olympic stadium to get a change of scenery from the hostel. Today we`re doing the summer palace and then the city almost shuts down for the start of the national holiday.