Turns out I know the biggest attraction in China!

Another early morning as we trek off in search of our second embalmed dictator of this excursion...last time I was in Beijing I regretted that I did not wait in the massive line to view Chairman Mao in all of his preserved glory. I would rectify that error this trip. So 5 of us rose early and wandered the alleys of Beijing to the infamous Tiananmen Square. (I have written previously about this square so I'll skip my verbose diatribe on this venue) Getting into the square was far trickier then the last time I visited...Olympic security measures still in place, the square has definite entry points and bag searches with metal detectors. It was funny to watch people instinctively try and drink their fluids and take off their shoes. Looking more for weapons versus water, we passed into the square without difficulty.

We made a beeline straight for the center of the square and the massive mausoleum. Immediately upon approaching we realized something was wrong. There was no line. There were some signs posted...but no line. After a few minutes of wandering aimlessly we deduced that Mao was off display for some unknown, not previously scheduled reason. In a way I understand...the guy has been dead for 50 years...the upkeep on that must be...challenging. We were slowly meandering through the square when we noticed a strange phenomenon...people were staring at us. Pointing, outright gawking, giggling and snapping photos.

Initially puzzled, the mystery was solved when a brave Chinese man mustered up the courage to approach our group and ask for Will to pose with his family. It was Will - all 6'4 of blond British Will that was garnering so much attention. He was being treated like a bizarre cross between a celebrity and carnival freak (for the record, I think it was more celebrity).

Leaching off our new found fame, our group proudly strutted through square, past prisoners cleaning gum off the ground and families flying kites for the tall walls of the Forbidden City. Beijing is crowded, noisy and chaotic. It was clear that our visit to the Forbidden City was going to follow that theme...but we managed to stumble across, in the heart of this chaotic mess a serene and tranquil park. Beautiful gardens surrounded by traditional temples served as the background for elderly Chinese folks practicing their stick twirling and hackeysack. The highlight for me was watching locals enjoy this amazing outdoor pavilion filled with fish tanks that contained over 40 varieties of goldfish.

So while chaos surrounded us on the streets, we spent some time sitting in this tranquil park watching fish...while Chinese locals escaping it all sat and watched us, well Will anyway...