Greetings from Beijing. Yes, I'm still in Beijing. Wandering side streets, taking pictures and staying up too late in the courtyard with the other folks around here. I was supposed to leave quite few days ago, but someone helped themselfs to my back pocket and made off with my bank card. Then I was going to leave two days ago, but I met some Icelandians who came up with a great idea for getting across China. Originaly I hoped to buy a motorcycle and sidecar to drive down to Vietnam and I even found a few sweet ones for sale, but you need to live here for about six months to get the special forigneer liscence plate. So, into the courtyard walk the Icelanders with this idea of buying motorized tricycles and driving the whole way down south at 40kms an hour. This sounded rediculous, so we got out the maps and I think we can beat the snow if we drive about 200 km a day. We're going to a factory today to get the workers to customize a couple of rides for us. We're getting ones that run on gas with a good sized box to store gear behind the seat and between the back two wheels. I think we can get extra wheels and parts thrown in with the deal. One guy is off buying provincial maps right now and I'm working out where we are actually alowed to go in China (some counties are still forbidden to forigners). I've got a tent and were going to buy sleeping bags and other camping gear like stoves, flashlights and rain gear tonight. Here's an idea of what the local tricycles look like..
There is another model in a brosure I saw with a larger front tire, good shocks and flashier panneling, but it's twice as expensive. We have to see both to make a decision. I'm getting stoked on the idea - Yea! - but we have to get outa here in the next few days because it'll start snowing north of here in a few weeks. :) I've got some new pictures on disk, but one got cracked so I lost a few of the good pics I got when Dan was here. I'm so lonely now that he's gone 'sniff sniff'. Here is a shot of him at the Summer Palace before he left.. 
And a nice touristy shot of the Summer Palace 
I've been trying to get a few shots of people around Beijing. These three are from the Summer Palace.
  
I've also been taking loads of bicycle shots in the alley ways around my hostel here. I plan to get out tomorrow morning before the others get up and we go look at the tricycle factory...
Most of the small alleys (hutong) that Beijing is known for are being torn down to make way for new bigger buildings. There's a few guys hauling away bricks and someone else having a smoke in a block that's dissapeared. I'm all for people taking up less space, but it's too bad to see so much of Beijings character brought down.          A parting self portrait from the park. I'll let ya know how opporation tricycle flight goes.
Cheers!
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