i was starting to feel a bit dehydrated yesterday so I have run a litre of water through overnight.
This morning I am off the Dongzhemin with Sian and going in search of the Cat Cafe, Meow.
Well I found it, eventually and it was ruddy shut! I figured it must open at someone though, as I could see there were cats in there!
It opened at 11.30 and I whiled away a couple of hours playing with cheeky cats. I must admit though, that if you don’t like cats, this place would freak you out!
This concept could be a career move for me and some other mad cat people I know?
Cat fetish sated I moved on to the Forbidden City. I’m not sure that it looked as colourful as In The Last Emporer but was pretty impressive nonetheless. I was going to take in Tiananmen Square in the daylight afterwards but sneakily the exit takes you out a different way, past 15 minutes worth of tacky souvenirs stalls!
I almost got knocked off my feet by a very solid Chinese lady who bulldozed past me! At least it made the very serious security guards crack a grin!
Back on the subway. I must admit to getting a bit bored of explaining that my back pack isn’t going to come off and go through the metal detector, and today’s stations had the added bonus of walk through detectors that I can’t go through either!
When I got back I told Sian via web chat that I was going for some R & R at Maan, but this gory auto corrected to Man and I got a message back demanding to know which man I was meeting! Luckily I was just going to Maan, my favourite coffee shop
Earlier In the week when we went shopping, the stall holder held a flam to the genuine Burberry bag I was looking at, to prove that it was leather. I do hope they don’t do the same to the numerous shell suits that I have seen around😈
Toilet talk……
Running so much water through I am needing to pee. Many of the toilets here are squat jobs and you soon learn to have your own tissues in your bag. (Strangely some of the loos have a loo roll holder outside the cubicles, so if it has anything in it, you need to know how much you’re going to need before the act!)
The good news is that there is often Ali true on the cubicle, depicting the type of loo!
In a scene reminiscent of the Atomiu. In Brussels, I found myself needing to pee at the Forbidden City. I walked down the rows of squat jobs until I got to the very end where ther was one ‘proper’ loo, but it was showing as locked. I waited patiently for about 5 minutes; it was very quiet in there! Suddenly a toilet attendant appeared at my side and proceeded to unlock the cubicle for me! I entered with cautio ,not wanting to catch anyone in the act!
I had my wee, flushed and came out, only to find the attendant standing outside waiting for me to finish, so that she could lock up again! Really!!?? Thank goodness I only needed a wee!
Out and about today……..
Why are the bottoms of the trees painted the same colour as the ‘you’ll cross where we want you to cross’ railings?
Why is there a Lotus garage here?
Off to the Great Wall tomorrow. Mental note to self to wrap up warm!
Eatwell Reads-Well 