Sorry for the break, but sometimes, life happens. My next stop will be across the Pacific, in Beijing, China. First, forget everything you read in the media. China is modern, clean and very friendly. Yes, they still have some issues with the government and the older generations, but I was totally blown away by my visit.
A lot of the issues with the strict military and police presence, is the fear the older generations who underwent all of the issue under the previous communist regime, will try and seek revenge today. So foreigners don’t receive the same scrutiny as the older Chinese do. The roads are very modern and well kept. The place is very clean (people have to work for their government subsidies, cleaning trash, raking leaves or whatever to earn their keep). Food is cheap, but clothing can be expensive (not counting the knock-offs).
Now, air quality can be bad in Beijing. This has a lot to do with the surrounding mountains acting like a bowl and keeping all the pollution trapped around the city. First couple of days were clear due to a recent rain storm, but the air changes on day 3 toward the hazy, poor quality often seen in reports. I suggest you go in either the spring or fall, as there is a better chance for rain storms that will clear the air for a couple of days. Next stop, will be Xi’an.