Having spent a long day taking more of photos of red painted gateways and identical looking overly embelished pavillions/palace in the forbidden city than I will ever want to see again, I had wandered over to the local night market for some sustenance...

A filling meal of pine-rice (half a pineapple filled with sweet rice) and a few skewers of grilled silkworms led to the inevitable urge to wash them down with a beer or two. Well, as it was 8 o'clock on a Tuesday (never a good time anywhere in the world) and a taxi ride from from the 'entertainment' district (details my antics from night 2 in San Li Tun to follow later) I knew my options were limited.

Luckliy I had passed the gaudily illuminated 'Bam Po Unplugged Pub' on my walk over to the food market. As the local equivalent of a pub on every corner seems to be a policemen on every corner (another story...) I was now glad that I had subconsciously made a note of this.

So, on my return, and having a mental double check outsode (I had forgot to note it was also between an equally gaudily lit up 'foot massage' establishment and what was probably the worlds smallest sex-shop (more sex kiosk)...I decided nothing ventured nothing gained...

Well, after walking down some dark stairs (so far so good - some of the best nights have been subterranean) I was wholly disappointed to find nothing but an old American on an awkward first date with a much younger Chinese girl being entertained by what looked like a male Yoko Ono playing Beatles covers on an acoustic guitar! As the place was physically no bigger than my living room, the poor American immediately realised I would be unable to help myself eavesdrop the entirety of his painfully stilted conversation and proceeded to glower at me.

Luckily the live music stopped before the first beer finished (but only to be replaced by Amy Whininghouse on the tv) and the couple moved on to non-verbal flirting mediated by furtive searching under the table for lost Genga pieces.

Maybe it was for the best that I left and am now writing this, I have to be up at 6 am tomorrow for a days hiking on the great wall.

PS: When it comes to silk worms, like so many other things in life, I couldn't bring myself to swallow.