My biggest anxiety about coming to Beijing wasn't the smog, the traffic or the enormous size of the place - it was actually whether we'd be allowed in to China at all. Our attempts to get a visa were far from straight forward, being granted only the special "journalists on holiday" type after a few expensive visits to the Embassy in London. So it was with relief that we cleared immigration, got on the bus, and made our way to the city centre with no special agents following our tail... or so we hope.
Thankfully, it was worth the hassle. We've crammed a lot in the first few days, seeing the imperial palaces at the Forbidden City, beautiful parks, craft markets, acrobatic shows and temples. We're staying in an old 'courtyard' house, in one of the few remaining hutong areas that hasn't been bulldozed. You can only walk here, not drive, which is a relief as much of our time has been spent trying to gingerly cross the road and avoid the oncoming cars who don't care if the light is red or green.
We've eaten very well - trying Hunan and Szechuan foods, as well as the city's own Peking duck. Vegetarians may want to skip the details below - but preparation apparently involves pumping the meat with air, boiling the bird, hanging to dry, basting the carcass with syrup, washing, and finally roasting in a peach and pear tree wood oven. It's then carved in front of your eyes and served with a special certificate to prove it was reared especially for the restaurant. For what its worth, duck no. 11466784 was very tasty. The restaurant was laden with photos of dignatories being served duck too. Where else in the world could boast to have served both David Beckham and Kim Jong-il?
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