Fear and Loathing in Beijing.

Checklist for first 24 hours in Beijing:
1.Arrive in China at some ungodly hour.
2.Endure the white-knuckle ride that is driving in China
3.Become a celebrity.
4.See some of the world's most amazing sights.
5.Fend off souvenir sellers using my basic Chinese.
6.Stay awake for 24+ hours and get drunk on rice wine.

Well, what can I say about Beijing?  It has been a whirlwind of culture shocks, fantastic food, friendly locals, and surreal moments..  We arrived at 5:30 am, a fact that only increased the bizarreness of our first day.  After meeting our host, we were dropped into the most chaotic, dangerous, and insane experience--driving in Beijing.  From what I gathered, besides fear, the first rule of driving in Beijing is: there are no rules!

After miraculously making it to our hotel, we checked in, ate a quick breakfast, and then tried to rest for a couple of hours.  Sadly, sleep never came, and we ventured out into Beijing strung out and wide-eyed.  The views of Beijing around Tiananmen Square are simply breathtaking.

It was on the streets of Beijing where I found my celebrity status.  Apparently, being a westerner with a beard, in Beijing, is a novelty.  Double the amount of beard, and double the amount of westerner, and the novelty factor goes into overload.  Here is one of many moments where we were stopped and asked if someone could take their picture with us.  My fans were always polite and friendly, and to be honest, I was more than happy to play-up my new found celebrity:

The rest of the day was spent seeing sight after sight.  Each followed by an onslaught of souvenir sellers.  Tip of the day: if you ever come to Beijing remember the following: búyào xiè xiè is your friend.

Finally, after 24+ hours, my bed was in sight, but not until our host had taken us for one last meal, accompanied by a little night cap of rice wine.  Well, one nightcap led to another, but several toasts later, I managed to stumble home and into a jet-lag, rice wine induced coma, and oh, what a glorious coma it was.

 There's is so much more I could say about my first experiences in China and Beijing.  Like how the Chinese are the friendliest people I've ever met, or how Beijing seems to be smothered in a perpetual smog, but these can wait for another day.

For now, I'll leave you with the knowledge and peace of mind that my toilet has been completely sterilized!