continuity

beijing was incredibly interesting but also very dirty and depressing in ways. i have talked to a lot of other travelers who are coming and going from there, and they seem to like it much better than i; so don't take my opinion as definitive. the great wall was sincerely a pleasure to see, but the city of beijing feels stifling alot of the time, the smog is opressive, the black soot collects in your nostrils, i saw a blue sky once, briefly, everyone spits everywhere and blows snot rockets, the food is good, people push you, they yell at you to buy things. granted i was only there for a short time, and the focus of this trip is mainly on russia and eastern europe,and i was also in beijing in the winter so it wasn't as hospitable. i still had a nice time there, but i've liked mongolia much better. tomorrow the train leaves for moscow, i'll be on it. i bought some leather mongoliaslashbiker boots with camel hair lining, that are warm, the steel in my other boots would refrigerate my toes to the point of complete numbness, these boots do the trick. my beard has ice caked on it when i walk outside, this is the coldest weather i have ever seen.