Day two in Beijing saw me access the subway for the first time - it is awesome with large spacious trains, video advertisements which follow the trains along the tunnel so that you can read them, smooth rails and effortlessly quiet ride. Amazing to think that it embarrasses the London Underground for quality and all for just 2y (20p) per trip. I was travelling to the summer palace - at the very edge of the city and this was still just 20p…
Getting off the train at Bagou station I ascend to what I am told on my map will be a park… It is in fact a large sewage works!! The smell is quite unique and I am forced to walk around this to find the entrance to the south side of the summer palace. However, this is the quiet entrance with very few visitors using it J As I pass into the site 50y (£5) I am confronted by a breathtakingly beautiful bridge which seems to float effortlessly above the river towards the lake and at the same time I am introduced to a number of ‘insane’ swimmers who have broken the ice and are swimming across the river and back to the encouragement of other swimmers lining the bank - bear in mind that I am fully wrapped up and in thermal long johns and I am still feeling the cold!!!!! Well each to their own
Passing into the Summer Palace grounds is like entering a zone of tranquillity, there is birdsong and a crisp crackle to your steps as you walk along the rock hard ground amongst the trees lining a shallow man made lake. The lake itself is huge and stretches away to a 17 span bridge and the main Buddhist tower/Summer Palace. It is a wonderful site and instantly becomes my favourite place in Beijing - walking amongst the small pathways I can start to imagine what it must have been like for the emperor and his retinue to walk among the whispering willows and gaily painted bridges. Magical. I take my time to walk around the entire site and make every effort to see every wonderful and unique building and bridge. Beautiful and in my opinion better than it could be in the summer! The crowds are diminutive while the air is crisp and fresh. The carpentry and artistry of the workers here challenges that seen at the Forbidden City and I would say that these are a more impressive site - my first choice if you are after something to do for the day in winter (I spent 6 hours here and still wanted to come back!!). However in the summer I can imagine in being heaving with people and touristy with the boats on the lake and lots of merchandising shops… Yes definitely better in winter ;)
After enjoying the splendour and wonder of the buildings around the site and being lulled by the tranquil natural beauty I headed for the central island… where I find a small jetty and a group of sled pushers prepared to speed you over the ice for a mere 40y (£4)… Bare in mind that there are signs all over the lakes edge stating very clearly (Don’t step on the ice)… But it said nothing about ‘Walking on the ice’ so I jumped off from the jetty and walked out onto the ice to join the locals clearly enjoying themselves J It was one of the most wonderful moments of my trip - to stand in the centre of the lake on ice about 1’ thick and see the sunset over the whisper like bridges and light up the facing side of the palace - Magical and very romantic if you are that way inclined ;) I spend an hour out on the ice playing about and can hear the creaks, pops and groans of the ice below me as it readjusts to the changing temperature… (I have a little ‘Jim Carey’ “Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind” moment from one of my favourite films). Too soon it is time to go, dusk approaches and I need to get the train back to meet up with Ness and Lee for a quick look around the Houtongs.
It is heartening to hook up with Ness again and Lee turns out to be a gentle Australian with a wonderful insight and local knowledge of the area and I soon learn a lot about Houtong development and warm up in a Starbucks branch… The evening flies past in good company and our final stop is a small eatery called “Cakes and coffee”, and it serves just that magnificent cakes and coffee - so equipped with the luxury of coffee cheesecake, walnut cake and apple cake we while away the hours until 11pm… when the subway has stopped working!!! I am soo lucky to have Ness to flag down a cab and let the driver know where I need to go as English is not widely spoken (I have gotten by in the main by sign language and numbers)…