Beautiful Beijing.

The entry to Beijing was after a long slow progress across deserts with intriguing roads and stopping points marked out.  Out of the window I thought the city might emerge glorious but instead a dust rust sun hovered in the haze over a modern building on the outskirts The Norman Foster semi circular airport buildings looks beautiful in parts and provides space for the queues of people waiting to have their hands to be finger printed, their passports to be corrected and the expectant newcomer to spill out and onto a modern train whisking one to the baggage and then onto the trains into Beijing.  The adverts passed declared Beijing to be a green city but few people seemed to be using the train - and the IC sign for the underground pass card was only apparent to newcomers like me searching for it - so my assumption that there would be huge queues was totally incorrect.  Looking out of the window on the golden ginkgo enhanced route into the capital - no one took notice of me, one of the few foreigners - whilst I was fascinated by the tattooed young couple opposite me and the women with their fashionably dyed hair.  No uniform look and even those in uniform did not stand out or dominate the scene.
From the airport train,

Metro advertising.

I squeezed into the metro, again no one took any notice, not even to think this older foreigner might need help with her bag, except that just when this thought was going through my head, a hand whisked the cumbersome object up some troublesome steps,  with a merry "you are welcome"  in response to my thanks.   Then as I peered at the map trying to work out which of the many exits to use to reach my hotel a woman about my age, looked at the map, looked at the hotel address, which was handily written in Chinese and English, consulted her phone and told me in English how to get where I was going  Moments later,  a short walk along an unattractive main road, and right turn past signs to the Hockney exhibition and there in the lea of a high rise block and next to a grey low rise hutong, nestled my wonderful gaudy Chinoiserie hostel, with a cheerful welcome.

Despite having had little sleep I was determined to go out.  The young woman at the desk doubted I could walk to Tianaman Square, so I followed her suggestion and walked along to the park behind the Forbidden City.  Jianshan Park.  Peckish I grabbed the last meal available in the park kiosk - beef and noddles and having no idea what food would cost paid way over the odds for it, which rankled for much of the time once I realised how cheap most things were in the town.    Huffing and puffing I joined the legions of Chinese people also making their way to the top of the park to look down on the city that was Forbidden to the them for so long.   One man expressed surprise

Airport arrivals.

I was travelling alone but was reassured when I explained a friend lived in Beijing.  Beyond that and a few smiles shared amongst travellers following the same route, no one spoke to me, however, I felt very at home watching people pick up the leaves and take pictures

Beijing

Pollution protection

The Forbidden City