is there poodle in my noodle

On our last day in Beijing we ventured to see the Temple of Heaven, a hall of prayer for good harvest. Originally built in 1420, the temple has been rebuilt 3 times after fire damage as a replica of the original structure.

Downtown Beijing was less captivating, in fact, more a futuristic dystopia, where the lonely skyscrapers sat on deserted streets, like a scene from 28 Days Later. The tallest, the CITIC Tower, stands proud at 528 metres.

The building on the left is the CCTV Headquarters, affectionately known as Big Pants. CCTV (China Central Television) is the national television broadcaster of China, established in 1958. CCTV reports to the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party.

We decided to get back to more fun activities like trying to guess the mystery meats on sale in our local neighbourhood. The Chinese do not shy away from sticking meat on a stick, or ensuring that every part of the animal is consumed. One particular favourite is tripe soup, which they translate on the menu as Exploding Belly. Yummy!

Not wanting to shy away from stuff on a stick we got stuck in to some chicken hearts last night over a game of backgammon. A fairly underwhelming snack if I’m honest, and a tad on the chewy side. But infinitely preferable to a weird stomach lining.