Day 3, it's not so bad.

The world is a better place when you can have a hot shower and you know where breakfast is coming from. This is the first important truth we have learned on our journey to True Wisdom.

We bought breakfast from the patisserie we discovered the night before, and took a taxi to the Temple of Heaven. This is where the Emperor would say prayers and give sacrifices in the hope of a good harvest. It was a really hot day to be walking around, and Sarah had to use the Chinese sunscreen she bought (which also turned out to be skin-whitening cream).

The main hall of the temple is a beautiful circular building made entirely of wood, and no nails (a guide said that it is held together with a special sticy rice). There's a door in one of the outer walls called the '70 year old door', even though it was put in in the 1730's. It was built for an emperor who had turned 70 and was in failing health- the door meant he had less of a walk to get to the temple. But he didn't want his heirs to become lazy and just use the door whenever they pleased, so he issued a decree that his offspring must reach the age of 70 before they were allowed to use the door. Interestingly, no emperor after him ever reached that age!

That night we found our restaurant. We became regulars, but I think we may have been a bit unpopular as we never finished all the food they brought! We ordered duck pancakes, and waited while they roasted an entire duck. They brought it out to our table and the chef snapped the head off and left it on the tray as he carved it for us! It was completely different from the shredded duck you get in the UK at Chinese restaurants, it was white meat and they were large slices with crisp skin on. Just gorgeous :)
Halfway through our meal, the waitress re-appeared with a huge bowl- in it was duck soup made from the bones and left over bits of our duck! It had bones floating in it and everything! But it was quite nice, really :P

Got back to the 'Spit Pit', and Jack decided it wasn't grotty enough, so he blocked the loo.