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We climbed two very steep flights of very long stairs (43m?) to get to the Bell Tower and Drum Tower. These were instruments used for telling time in China back in the 1200s. The bell was quite an amazing piece of history. The story of the coppersmiths daughter at the bell tower was dramatically interesting.

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Lunch at a local noodle soup place. Naturally, Chinese food is easy to find in China...and in the capital the options are beyond overwhelming. You could realistically pop into any restaurant and point at anything on the menu. Being able to eat anything and be adventurous is definitely a blessing.

We went shopping with the help of a local haggler. It was a good learning experience. If you do not wish to buy any of the goods, then do not initiate the bargaining. I don't like bargaining and I wished I'd gone in the morning instead of the end of a tiring day because I really didn't have the patience for it.

I'm beautiful but I have no money!

Beijing 11/14/12