北京

Just arrived in Beijing (:

And Mongolian phones are not working here… so I needed to buy another SIM card: +86 1324 120 967
+86 1324 120 9675

Now I spent already one week here – or only one? I live in a Chinese family, which is trying to choke me with food and compliments. And as it isn’t working they now started to try alcohol… Its really remarkable how they are integrating me in the family, caring so much and doing everything so I fell comfy. I have my own two-room apartment in the house and share all the comfort of the family. But that in my apartment there is no heating yet. The house is in the outskirts of Beijing and includes a toilet in the backyard and a shower in the neighbour building. Actually the neighbours are relatives, the wife is mothers sister, the husband fathers brother – how funny is this?

For sure I explored Beijing – downtown, the forbidden city, bird nest, water cube, great wall and so on. Actually I did most with those French guys, Sebastien et Mato. But I enjoyed at least as much the company of my Chinese family, amazing food, playing cards, Chinese chess or just sitting together. Also my pictures were much wanted again. I’m glad I took pictures from Germany, my flat, family and my birth house! Now at the weekend one spents even more time with the family and lunch are real feasts!! Tens of bowls with all kind of vegetables and meet, inter alia chicken hearts and feet. Also they are having loads of garlic and since my arrival I’m waiting to get a whole plant (not a clove) – and indeed today was the day! Unfortunate my father and even more my uncle are keen to drink with me. Yesterday we enjoyed not only Schnaps with 53 per mille but also Beijing beer, which is actually quite good. And as they have no small glasses we drank out of water glasses and up from lunch I was drunken all day. And father wanted to play Chinese chess… it was quite a challenge! Only later I got to know all other men also drinking went to bed shortly after lunch :D Therefore today uncle and me were the only one drinking and I tried to keep it on smaller level!

Next days I wanna go on. I have been told Shanghai is relatively similar to Beijing, just with less historic monuments and even more western. Therefore I decided to go rather to another Chinese city, Kunming. I checked the possibilities to go to Tibet and then via Nepal to India but its just impossible for individual travellers. Its mandatory to hire a guide and a translator ): The only problem is it will most probably not be easier from Burma…