Day 21 - Beijing - 20th December 2008

Got out at 8.45am and hired a bike for my trip to The Temple of Heaven. Besides seeing some famous buildings that are often featured in movies the other interesting thing was all the entertainment in the park. Lots of men playing cards, mah-jong, people ball-room dancing, scarf dancing, choirs etc. The Chinese really make good use of their parks. These grounds are also very big but was able to cover everything in half a day. I then rode to Tianamen Square and took a few photos, then had a couple of hours to spare before dinner so just rode around and saw some very modern buildings before parking the bike in Wanfujing to have a look at some modern shopping centres, which are pretty much the same as home.

I then decided to try and find the Liqun Roast Duck restaurant which was featured on Getaway as they still prepare the duck in the traditional manner and in an original stone oven. We had passed it on the way to the markets the other day and I saw the walking ducks sign again on the way to the Temple of Heaven and i surprised myself by finding it again this time. It wasn't very big and nobody actually took any notice of me until I stopped a lady who looked like the boss and asked her if it was OK for one person to dine. She said it was and they immediately set up another single table and sat me down. They guessed I was there for Peking duck and I assumed I would get half a duck but the chef came out later and showed me a whole duck, but when it came out on a plate it looked like half a duck. However as I was enjoying myself, they brought out another plate with the same serving. I was then thinking that I was hungry but maybe not that hungry, when another foreigner came in on his own so I told him he could join me and asked him if he intended getting a whole duck which he didn't, so I suddenly had someone to share with so it all worked out well. Damion is a Londoner of Jamaican extraction and funny enough knew Sydney really well and wants to migrate. He is on his way home from Sydney and thought he would have a Sydney job so he could return but the economic downturn hasn't made it possible so he'll have to try again in future. The duck was really nice but cost 100RMB ($AUS22.50)each so was considerably more expensive than the one I had on the first night and really not that much better so I think I'll be returning to that first restaurant for a repeat meal.