Wow, I’m not in Kansas anymore and it’s incredible. The pollution is so bad here – you can see the particles in the air as you breath them in. It’s like LA times 1,000. But it’s so cool too: the outdoor markets, the architecture, the style of dress, etc. It’s all so very different and fascinating.

I’ve never been a very adventurous eater, so food has been a challenge. For breakfast this morning, I settled on two hard boiled eggs and a ton of bread after trying a bite of everything else and quickly vowing to never, ever have another bite! I’m glad I missed out on dinner in the market last night: scorpion on a stick – possibly still alive. Now I’m really glad I’m carrying around a small pharmacy with me! Tonight I’ll try duck for the first time.

Today we toured the forbidden city and went to the 798 art district – a very cool collection of art galleries by local artists in a warehouse district – reminded me of the one in Leipzig 🙂 We also went to the Olympic stadium.

Most of the tourists here are local, so as westerners, we stand out. Many of the tourists are looking at us as much as they are looking at the sites. Some want their pictures taken with our group.

I have a room to myself on this tour. Sweet! And I met two lovely ladies who will be trekking with me all the way through to Hanoi, Vietnam. Nice!

Now it’s time to try the Peking duck!