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21 Oct 2017
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Then it was across the road to spend several hours in the Forbidden City Palace Museum. There are hordes of people here, but it is all orderly, except where you have to push and force your way to the front to see the throne rooms. This is where the guides would have made their next mistake if we had not changed our plans. The itinerary said we would visit the Forbidden City yesterday and do the bikes today. The Forbidden City is closed one day a week and that was yesterday!
 Forbidden City-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Forbidden City-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Forbidden City-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Forbidden City-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Forbidden City-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Forbidden City-10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Forbidden City-11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Forbidden City-12 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Forbidden City-14 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Forbidden City-15 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_9866 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_9858 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Forbidden City-16 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Forbidden City-17 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-13 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-14 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-15 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-16 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-25 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
Last edited by saralou; 21 Oct 2017 at 14:02.
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21 Oct 2017
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Then it was thru Beihai Park and along the lake district. This public park is the former Imperial garden built in the 11 th century and open to the public since 1925.
 IMG_9841 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing 2-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-23 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-35 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-36 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-37 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-38 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-39 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing_-40 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing 2-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing 2-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing 2-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing 2-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing 2-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing 2-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing 2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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21 Oct 2017
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We stopped for a  beside the Signet bridge and then did a small tour in the Hutong district towards the Bell and Drum towers. These were used to chime the time of day with bells in the morning and drums in the afternoon.
 Beijing 2-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing 2-12 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing 2-13 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing 2-10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing 2-11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing 2-17 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing 2-15 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Beijing 2-16 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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22 Oct 2017
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It is also strange in a country we think of as crowded with 1.4 billion that there is so little urbanization. Between the high density cities there is nothing. The highway exits can be 50 km apart. We stopped for some breakfast at 9, gassed up as we are in the same county still we can use the pumps, and then hit the road again.
They are such concrete rule followers here and it can be very frustrating. For example you can ride you bike to the pump, but once you have the gas you must push it past all the pumps and out of the gas up area. So that could be 5 or 20 meters…. we backed up 3 and rode away.
We had to run the gauntlet of 4 toll stations as well today, which to be honest is quite stressful. In Beijing Big bikes are allowed on the highway and it it 1 RNB per 2 km (6 RNB/USD) and so very expensive. The driver paid 1700 RNB to get to us at the border and this is one reason why booking a tour here is so expensive. As our guide says everything in China costs. It is the best when there are a few big trucks waiting on the far right as we can sneak up beside them and get by easily. There is a wide lane and they pull over far left to reach the toll taker and thus we have lots of room to get by. Occasionally if they see us coming the run out or wave us to stop, but we must keep going. Dan and I don't feel that great about this, but this is the way it is here. The law says no motorcycles (scooters, 3 wheel jobs with large….. by the millions here that can only go 50 km/h) and they can not just their thinking to the big bike that can keep pace with the traffic or more.
https://youtu.be/rxDn535ARhE
 FILE1159 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE1180 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
Last edited by saralou; 25 Oct 2017 at 01:53.
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22 Oct 2017
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What is amazing in a country with this population is the vast tracts of nothing outside the cities. Here there is little urbanization. There is also little farming because of the short season. The landscape gets more and more industrial closer to Datong and the air is a dense fog of pollution.
 FILE1155 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE1185 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
It was another 150 km to have a break on the side of the road and then 80 more to the Grottoes. The approach to Datong is a sight from Mad Max. Our eyes were burning and the massive cloud of solution over the city is insane. They burn coal to make electricity to sell to the south of China. It seems a high price to pay if you love here. Driving around the outskirts of the city it looks post apocalyptic. On the west side of the city the sky is clear and the air quality much better.
 Screen Shot 2017-09-22 at 21.48.30 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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22 Oct 2017
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The Yungang Grottoes are rock-cut architecture and one of the three most famous ancient Buddhist sculpture sites in China. The stone carvings are from the 5 th and 6 th century. The grottoes are excavated in a sandstone cliff 2600 ft long and 30-60 feet high.
 FILE1130 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
They are such sticklers about the parking every where here too. Motorcycles must park in motorcycle spots. It does not matter that we have 4 huge bikes and the spot is for 4 mopeds. There is no way they will let you put any number of bikes in one car spot even if the lot is empty. “They are for cars”.
 China Datong Grottos-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 China Datong Grottos by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_9880 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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22 Oct 2017
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The first section is where you visit the Buddhist temple that is modern and about 30 years old. It is on an island in a man made lake.
 IMG_9884 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_9888 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 China Datong Grottos-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 China Datong Grottos-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_9890 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 China Datong Grottos-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 China Datong Grottos-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 China Datong Grottos-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 China Datong Grottos-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 China Datong Grottos-10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 China Datong Grottos-11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 China Datong Grottos-12 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 China Datong Grottos-13 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 China Datong Grottos-14 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 China Datong Grottos-25 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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23 Oct 2017
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The grottoes are on the cliff side. The most ancient and most elaborate are spectacular. There is an ancient wooden facade and the excavated cave is inside. The carving are very detailed and the size of the Buddhas inside are huge. Some of the painting has been restored up to 12 times.
 China Datong Grottos-16 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 China Datong Grottos-17 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_9914 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_9918 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_9908 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_9911 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_9919 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 China Datong Grottos-19 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 China Datong Grottos-21 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 China Datong Grottos-20 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 China Datong Grottos-22 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 China Datong Grottos-23 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 China Datong Grottos-24 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_9930 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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23 Oct 2017
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24 Oct 2017
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We stopped after 125 km to take a break and make a coffee in the parking lot. This drew quite a crowd. The scenery today more green with some terracing of the hill sides. We had a few set backs today as it rained on and off and even before it rained on us the road was wet and filthy and we were covered in dirt. Almost too late we put on the over suits. About 30 min later the sun's out, but we were trapped in a massive 10 km long traffic jam. We pulled over to un-suit as is was now 27 degrees and then we had to drive backwards on the highway thru the trucks to get over 2 lanes to lane split thru the “parked” 3 lanes of cars and trucks. The cause was a semitrailer on its side and they had all lanes merging into 1. It was smooth sailing after this and we arrived to Pingyao at 2 pm.
 FILE1276 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE1281 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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