Beijing: my reset week

I didn’t enjoy the 27-hour train ride from Ulan Bator to Beijing. I was upset that I had lost my glasses, and started reflecting on 5 weeks of travel in a melancholic way. Travel blues? Little did I know Beijing was going to completely turn that feeling around.

Not in the first hour upon arriving, though, as I was trying to figure out in the sunny heat where I could find an ATM to take out cash to buy tickets for the subway. Yes, that took me a full hour.

Coming out of the subway near Tiananmen square gave me a very strange feeling at first. It marked the second time in less than two years that I found myself in the Chinese capital, reminding me of a recent trip I have very good memories of. I prepared myself to be overwhelmed by yet another wave of melancholia, but when I walked into bustling Meishi street, it was a surprising wave of sudden happiness that poured in. Sounds and colours invaded my senses, vendors were selling all kinds of delicious looking food, the sun was shining… Everything seemed to be welcoming me in this city that I instantly liked better than I ever had.

One of the typical Beijing ‘hutong’ alleys along Meishi street

The lack of pressure you feel in a city that you visit for the second time, was exactly what I needed after five weeks of intense travelling. But the best part was enjoying the company of one of my dearest friends, who lives in Beijing.

She made it her mission to make me discover as much of her adopted hometown as she possibly could in one week. And so we had great food every single day – I ate so much! After Siberia and Mongolia, this absolutely was food paradise for me.

My friend talked me into having Chinese massage, which, I admit, I was a bit hesitant about at first. But it turned out to be quite a good experience (it might have helped that my friend told my masseur to be gentle since it was my first time).

We also went swimming together, a typical thing I couldn’t have done if I still had the Forbidden City and the Great Wall on my to do-list. Good I checked those off my list two years ago!

I shouldn’t forget to mention our rooftop bar experience under a sky exploding with lightning, where a drunk Chinese guy was making a move towards us – “if you want to try a Chinese man, I’m here”, and as to whom he was actually talking to, he responded: “I choose… you!” while he looked at my friend… and pointed towards me. (No, we were not interested, should you still wonder.)

Delicious Cantonese food in the food court of a shopping mall

Chilling in Chaoyang park on Saturday afternoon

Getting around on these city bicycles

Beijing by night from a rooftop bar in Sanlitun area

What was particularly awesome in Beijing, was that I not only got to reset my mind, but my friend helped me solve my problems. Above all, she went out of her way to help me have a new pair of glasses made, after losing mine in a hostel in Ulan Bator. I don’t think I could have ever done this without her help.

One week in Beijing was like vacation from vacation. In a very good way. Ready again to travel onwards! …by train and bus, of course.