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Around the world travel, Backpacking, Bucket List, China, Compass Holidays, Guided Tour, Travel, Travelzoo

Guided China: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

TravelZoo Top 20 has offered some great trips in the past few years and I’ve taken advantage of some of their promotions, including to Ireland, The Azores, and Alaska. I’ve had my eye on the China trip for a while, and over the years, I’ve watched the price drop from around $1,000 to $499 for different trips respectively.

While January isn’t the best time to see China and while a guided tour isn’t my preferred way of travel, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to finally make this trip when the price dropped to $499 from Boston (and when I roped a travel buddy in.)

After a couple of days of deliberating, we finally locked in the deal for $588 for January 16th-24th. This included roundtrip airfare from Boston on award winning Hainan Airlines, one domestic flight from Beijing to Shanghai, all hotel stays (4 and 5 star), breakfast daily, guided tours to The Great Wall, as well as local city tours in Suzhou, Wuxi and Hangzhou and all transfers.

When I broke this down after the trip, I got this:

Airfare from Boston to Beijing and Shanghai back to Boston: $636.00

Airfare from Beijing to Shanghai: $153.00

3 nights at Beijing’s Garden International Hotel: $124 x 3 = $372.00

1 night at Suzhou Grand Metro Park: $80.00

1 night at Wuxi Jiangsui: $115.00

1 night at Hangzhou’s Xinghai International Hotel: $60.00

2 nights at Shanghai’s Crowne Plaza Pudong: $125 x 2 = $250.00

Before we even start adding in meals, local excursions, transfers, etc… we’re looking at over $1600.00 if you plan it yourself. This was too good of a deal to pass up.

However, the old saying, “If it seems to good to be true, it often is,” pops into my head. There was definitely a ‘catch’ to this trip. Obviously, tourism is suffering in China and the government have stepped in and are subsidising these trips. In turn, we get a good deal but have to make the obligatory daily factory visits.

If you know what you’re getting into, then ok, but know what you’re getting into. This isn’t for everyone. As an avid, independent traveler, I much prefer to plan my own itinerary, seek out my own hotels/guesthouses/restaurants and have the freedom to choose how I spend my own time.

That being said, having the assistance with the language barrier and all our transfers was extremely helpful. And as a budget traveler, I enjoyed a little bit of luxury at such a deeply discounted price. This isn’t for everyone, but if you’re up for a different sort of adventure and want to snag a good deal, I say go for it. At the end of the day, it is all what you make of it!

Around the world travel, Backpacking, China, Compass Holidays, Suzhou, Travel, Travelzoo

Seeking Authenticity in Suzhou

We arrived in Shanghai last night and were greeted by Michael, not “Follow Michael” but a new, younger, more hip Michael, who will be our tour guide for the second part of our trip. We reconvened with the few people who had taken the early flight and waited for the others who were arriving on the later flight… Then we make our way to the Grand Metro Park Hotel in Suzhou, which is a 2 hour bus ride. We arrive late, get our room keys and are told we have an 8am start the following morning.

We’ll be on the move the next few days, traveling from Suzhou to Wuxi to Hangzhou, and we’ll have little free time until we arrive in Shanghai on the 24th. But for today, we’re exploring Suzhou, called the ‘Venice of the Orient’, and we’re greeted after breakfast by Michael and Jenny, our local tour guide.

I visit the Family Mart to buy more chocolate before boarding the tour bus, and Jenny begins to give us some background on Suzhou. It’s one of China’s wealthiest cities, and has also become a home base for tech companies, including Philips, Samsung, Seagate and Microsoft have. In turn, this has birthed a large expat community, so English is more widely spoken here and international schools are very common. Suzhou is also known for its classical gardens, and is home to one of China’s most famous, The Lingering Garden, which we are on our way to visit.

The Lingering Garden

The Lingering Garden

Originally constructed in 1593 during the Ming Dynasty, this now public UNESCO sight is a collection of temples, courtyards and corridors connected by winding footpaths that surround a large pond. Despite the gray day we’re visiting on, it’s still a beautiful, serene sight.

Jenny leads us all back to days of Mings and Qings, of opium dens and past emperor’s reigns.

 

 

Suzhou’s largest silk factory.

The early stages of a silkworm’s life.

Suzhou is also known for its silk, and our next stop is one of the largest silk factories in the city. En route,  Jenny gives us the lowdown on the benefits of silk, telling us that silk pillowcases are the secret to why Suzhou’s women are the prettiest. She also shows us the latest “bargains” she’s found at the factory. A Gucci scarf that she says has the slightest imperfection and therefore can’t be sent to Gucci. But it can be sold to us for a mere $98!

We arrive at the silk factory and we’re greeted by an enthusiastic lady who you guessed it, shuffles us in to a demonstration room. We learn all about silk production, as she hands around sealed glass tubes that contain the different stages of the silk worm’s life, from the ‘pup’a to an actual full size worm. We then head to the factory to see how the minute strands of silk are threaded onto a silk spool and eventually spun into a final product.

The silk spinning machine.

What’s for lunch??

Someone asks what happens to the pupa, and she jokingly says, “Well, wait and see what you’re having for lunch. They are great protein.”

From the factory line, we’re taken to a showroom. Our guide’s enthusiasm is put to shame compared to the efforts of the sales staff. They flock to us, explaining that each purchase of a comforter and pillow set comes with a free suitcase.

The finished product.

They explain how these silk comforters cure ailments like rheumatoid arthritis and eczema, and  Matthew, a member of our group, who was diagnosed with liver problems at the medical institute pipes up and asks “Will it cure my fatty liver?” We all have a chuckle, and despite the fact that the showroom is the only heated room in the building, I sneak out to see what else there is to be seen. I’m not buying any silk and I’m really not buying into any of this anymore.

I head up to the second floor, which is home to a clothing store, full of silk dresses, coats, ties, pashminas and pyjamas. It doesn’t take long to figure out that again, it’s a rip off. I walk up to the third floor, and there’s a restaurant where a group of people are having lunch. It’s freezing and I try to order tea. The lady brings me a glass of hot water. The boys venture up, and she tries to sell us alcohol from a huge glass jar at the front of the restaurant. A preserved snake sits in the jar. She says, “This make you warm.” I think I’ll pass.

A Suzhou side street.

The market.

Kids wait for their mum to finish work in Suzhou.

We find Katherine and decide to venture out on the streets to see what’s around. We stumble on a food market, full of fresh fruits, vegetables and meat. To the side is a dumpling stand, where we have no choice but to indulge. Who knows what they will be serving for lunch? Pulpa?? We walk back towards the silk factory and pass an impressive number of hair salons. Literally every other storefront is a salon… We chat with a few kids whose mum is working inside, and then we are back at the factory.

What a $1,000 silk comforter looks like.

It’s literally two hours later and people are still shopping. Our factory guide sees me and I decide to entertain the idea of finding out how much a silk comforter costs… only because I see one I actually like. I point at model A-3 on the wall and say, “How much would that cost me?”

“Oh, you have good taste,” She says.

I look around at the bags and suitcases on the floor and realize just how much shopping has been done. Maybe since it’s the end of our visit, she will make me a good deal.

She continues, “This is the finest silk, take two year to make. Only comforter cover, no insert, no pillow.”

She picks up the calculator. And then says to me. “Comforter cover $974, but we give you bigger suitcase as a gift.”

I don’t know if I choke or choke back a laugh. I’m wondering where the bargain “Made in China” stuff is ??? She follows me for the next 10 minutes, lowering the price, but even any significant reduction wouldn’t get her a sale. I’m officially over it as we head to another mediocre factory lunch.

Suzhou’s Grand Canal.

From lunch, we’re taken to the Grand Canal where we’re given the option of a $35 river cruise. We’re well past the point of understanding how this whole tour package is working now, so Katherine and I again, decide to opt out of the organized tour. Surely, we can walk alongside the canal and get the same views we would from the overpriced boat, right? I tell Michael our plans and he assures me there’s really nowhere to walk.

A street food vendor bakes a sweet bean curd dessert.

We still opt out. And, we end up taking a nice stroll along the canal, and find the public boat that costs less than $10 for a roundtrip excursion on the canal. We also find the street vendors, and that lovely scarf Jenny showed off this morning that was for sale at the factory for $98 is hanging up. I venture over and ask how much. After a little bartering, I get it for $8USD and feel like I’ve won a mini battle against this “organized tour.”

As it begins to rain, we meet a street food vendor who is cooking up a dough filled dessert, filled with sweetened bean curd. We take shelter under his little canopy, and despite that we’re still full from lunch, we buy the last cake on the platter. I try to force Katherine to eat most of it and she keeps handing it back to me.  We throw away the last bite.

We buy some roasted chestnuts and make our way back to the bus, where we wait for the others. Here, we part ways with Jenny and begin our journey to Wuxi, where we pick up Angela, our other local tour guide.

Lake Tai

We head to Lake Tai, and Angela tries to get us excited for our walk around Lake Tai, depsite the fact that it’s now pouring. I’m proud of the group, who don rain coats and share umbrellas so we can all comfortably partake in the tour.

Angela is a Wuxi native and of all tour guides does the best job of capturing the group’s attention. She is informative and full of knowledge about her home city, but remains approachable and welcoming.

At the end of our walk around Lake Tai, I ask her if she can make some recommendations for an authentic restaurant for dinner. She replies, “There are some very good restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. I will give you the names, but you are always welcome at my home for dinner.”

Mother and Father-in-law and Mr. Wong, cooking up dinner.

Well, after a few days in China, I think I’ve come to the understanding that people don’t say what they don’t mean here, and I think for a moment how awesome it would be to have dinner at a local’s home. But I don’t think more about it until it’s dinner time and the hotel room phone rings. It’s Ray and Warren, and they’re meeting Angela in the lobby in a few minutes to go to dinner. Do we want to join? Katherine is not feeling well, but I can’t miss this opportunity for what I know will be the most authentic meal of the trip, so I throw on my shoes that I literally just took off, grab my raincoat, and head to the elevator bank.

In the lobby, Ray and Warren are standing with Angela, who is waiting to see if anyone else wants to join. Michael, our tour guide is ordering a pizza delivery for the rest of the group, but Mr. Wong, our bus driver from the past couple of days is going to join us, so the five of us head out for Angela’s apartment, which is two blocks away from the hotel.

The only time I saw Mr. Wong smile!

We head up two blocks and over one in order to hit the market, where Mr. Wong buys what he wants to contribute to the evening’s meal. From what I can tell, he buys a couple of leeks, but they are bigger and longer than the leeks we get at home ? After a couple of other stops for vegetables, we reach Angela’s apartment building. We head up to the second floor and are welcomed inside. First, she gives us slippers and then we are introduced to her daughter and her mother and father-in-law who live with her. Her husband is away for work in The Philippines.

Angela and her daughter.

She ushers us in and pulls a few plastic chairs around the table in the main room so we can all sit. We all crack sunflower seeds as Angela and I peel garlic cloves, and in what seems a matter of minutes, dishes are ready to be served. The table is pulled to the center of the room, and more chairs are brought in to seat everyone, and mother and father-in-law sit down with us. They speak no English, so they seem to welcome us in the only way they know how. For mother-in-law, that is to feed us and smile at us, and for father-in-law-that is to fill our cups with as much ‘Medicine wine’ as we can take. I’ve had a taste and am sticking with beer, but the boys are stronger than me and rival him for a little while.

The crew at dinner.

We indulge in an amazing home cooked meal, where dumplings keep seem to appearing on our plate. If I eat too quickly, my plate is full again… with a fluffy egg dish, sauteed green beans, chicken and mushrooms, salted peanuts, and Mr. Wong’s leek dish, all of which we attempt to eat with our chopsticks. Grandpa gets a big kick out of the fact that the boys are very good at using chopsticks and congratulates them by filling their cups again.

We FaceTime with Angela’s husband and her cousin, and then we have the time to chat with Angela about her family, her line of work, tourism in China, her daughter, education and life in general. And although Angela is  our tour guide, for that moment she is a friend and we are just hanging out.

Tonight’s experience is what I seek when I travel. Not the visit to the silk factory, nor the comforter with the free suitcase, but sitting with the locals, learning about their way of life, eating their home made food, watching grandpa get drunk on baiju. As he gets more gregarious, Angela gives us the cue it’s time to go. We all have another early start in the morning. Grandma hugs us all goodbye and grandpa shakes everyone’s hands aggressively, and Mr. Wong, who seems much less affected than grandpa, finishes his last sip of baiju, and walks us back to the hotel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Around the world travel, Backpacking, Beijing, Bucket List, China, Compass Holidays, Travel, Travelzoo

How Do You Say “Softly” in Mandarin?

Ads on the Beijing metro.

We have one last free morning in Beijing, and Michael has organized a late checkout for everyone, so after breakfast, Katherine and I head to Tiananmen Square. We were here the other day but headed straight for the Forbidden City, and because of Tiananmen’s historical significance, I want to pay a proper visit.

Tiananmen Square

So, we head back to Happy Valley, make the journey by metro to Tiananmen East, clear security and walk from one end of the square to the other. Besides a few statues, there’s not much to see here, but I feel better having made the visit.

We hail a taxi and head northeast towards Dragonfly spa, a place that’s been recommended by a friend for massage and reflexology. Luckily, my maps is working without an internet connection, and I’m able to get us within walking distance to the spa. The language barrier is proving to make solo navigation challenging!

We arrive in an area that seems to cater to Westerners. A Hilton hotel sits next to a shopping complex that’s home to Starbucks, a wine shop, a public swimming pool, and the place we’re after, Dragonfly.

We take a few minutes to peruse the menu and both Katherine and I decide on a 1-hr traditional Chinese massage, which is a combination of deep tissue and acupressure. Andy, my masseuse, collects us from the waiting room, takes us to our respective rooms and shows us the linen tops and bottoms we’re to put on. They are made for petite Asian ladies, and I just about manage to get the pants over my hips.

Dragonfly Spa

Andy speaks very little English, but I tell him I like a strong massage. He goes to work, and I realize he has understood what I said. Maybe a little too much because as he works his way down my back, I’m literally twinging in pain. I start to say, “Ok, maybe not so hard.” But he thinks I mean the opposite and pushes so deep on my lower left back muscle, that I know I’m going to feel it for days. A little whimper comes out followed by “Owwww.” And he exclaims, “Ohhh, you mean softer.” Yes, softer, that’s the word I was looking for!

Andy finishes up an awesome massage, and tells me his name again, “You come back, you ask for Andy.” “Yes,” I say, not even attempting to try to explain I’m just visiting and actually leaving for Shanghai in a matter of hours.

I find Katherine in the reception area, and we laugh at the matching pillow imprints on our faces. We settle our bills, $30 each, head to Starbucks for something to wake us up, and grab a taxi so we can make it back to the hotel to check out and make our transfer to Shanghai.

A few people from the group flew out on a very early flight this morning, and the rest of us are on either a 5:20 or 5:55 flight from Beijing to Hongqiao. We drop half the group at Terminal 1 and the rest of us head to Terminal 2 and check in at the Hainan counter. We have lost Michael, who seems to have broken his own golden rule… “Follow Michael,” and don’t get the chance to say thank you and goodbye.

Katherine and I clear security, grab a snack at a Chinese fast food joint, top up our chocolate supply at one of the duty free shops, and board our flight.

It’s a short flight, but we have time to reflect on Beijing and the trip so far. Because I feel partly responsible for Katherine’s happiness on the trip, seeing as I’m the one that suggested it and sold her on China to begin with, I ask her, “So, what do you think so far?”  Her reply, “We’re in China. We paid less than $600. I’m just taking it for what it is.”

As independent travelers, it’s tough for us to have so many of our decisions made for us. We are used to doing the research, the planning, the bookings, the navigating. Doing that kind of work before a trip ensures (most of the time) an enjoyable adventure, and there’s a sense of satisfaction when you figure out a place. BUT, it IS China, and I’m not gonna lie, there’s something nice about these 4 and 5-star hotels, the bus that shows up for our airport and city transfers and the assistance with the language barrier, and oddly enough, the weird and wonderful members of our group are growing on me.

I think about what Katherine said, and agree that we could have never planned this trip for the price we got it for. (Hence the factory visits). I will move forward with an open mind about this “organized travel…” or so I tell myself tonight.

Around the world travel, Backpacking, Beijing, China, Compass Holidays, Great Wall, Guided Tour, Travel, Travelzoo

The Great Wall After The Greatest Jade Factory

I wake up at 2am. Maybe it’s the excitement of our trip to the Great Wall, or it could be the fact that we went to bed at 8pm…I will myself to stay in bed until 4am. Needless to say, we’re the first to arrive at breakfast. Here, we spot a few people from our group who we’ll be spending the day with.

We have Ray & Warren from Utah, who I will affectionately refer to as “the boys.” Nick and Sue are a lovely British couple who now live on the Canadian side of Lake Huron. Veronica from Philadelphia, flips houses for fun, but is a world renowned psychologist who is basically changing the way mental health is treated in the Middle East. We have Stacie (originally from Chicago) and her girlfriend Kiva from New Orleans. Stacie is in finance and Kiva is a personal trainer. We have, Matthew (architect) and his boyfriend D’Andre (a model) and Matthew’s mother Marilyn (who is super sweet, just a little hard of hearing). We have the old couple who sit next to each other on the bus and yell their observations at each other (they must be hard of hearing too). Jeff, a lawyer who tagged this trip on to the end of a business trip, is traveling with his sweet and super athletic cousin, Nathan, who is a mortgage broker in Arizona. We have the quiet newlyweds from Chula Vista, CA that keep to themselves and two other couples: Jay, an American guy, and his Vietnamese girlfriend Ivy, and a fun couple from Toronto. We have two Jet Blue flight attendants, who are based out of NYC, and there are three older gentlemen who are en route to the Philippines to do missionary work. Then there’s Katherine and me, who are really new to this whole “group travel” thing.

All in all, we’re a pretty diverse and eclectic group. I hear the ‘Real World’ intro in my head, “This is the story of 20 people picked to travel China and have their lives taped…” It feels like a really interesting social experiment!

Bird’s Nest Stadium

Home of the 2008 Olympic Games

So, after breakfast, we all pile onto the tour bus and Michael (“Follow Michael”) greets us and tells us the plan for the day. Our first stop is a quick visit to the park where the 2008 Olympic Games were held . It’s a balmy 22 degrees, so we bundle up and make our way for a close up shot of Bird’s Nest Stadium, which hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the track and field events. Now that Beijing has been awarded the 2022 winter Olympic games, officials are trying to decide if they can re-use this stadium or if they will build something new. It’s a pretty neat steel structure and just behind sits the IBM building, constructed in the shape of a dragon.

IBM as seen from the Olympic Park.

We head back to the bus and Michael informs us that the next stop is to a jade factory on the outskirts of Beijing. This will be followed by lunch and then our excursion to the Great Wall.

Crafting Jade.

Less than an hour later, the mountain ranges surrounding Beijing become visible and we all start to peer out the bus window looking for glimpses of the wall in the distance. I’m anxious to get there… it’s one of the main reasons I booked this trip, but the bus makes a right turn into the parking lot of the jade factory, and we shuffle off the bus and into the entryway of the factory. We’re greeted by a petite Chinese woman, who takes us through a small hallway, where we can see artisans creating jewelry and trinkets from the jade stone. We’re then taken into a small meeting room where we’re taught about the various types of Jade and the different qualities that exist.

Jade for the Chinese is the equivalent of diamonds to Americans. Jade is given as an engagement gift, often as a bangle bracelet, which is to be worn on the left hand as it’s closest to your heart. The stone is thought to have healing properties and bring good luck, and Jadeite – the most precious type of Jade is believed to bring good fortune. Well, I would hope so, seeing as when we’re shuffled out of the meeting room and into the showroom, I see the price tag on the jade bangle… a mere $795 !! I won’t be bringing any jade home! But we wait patiently while others do their shopping. In my mind, I’m thinking I could do another China trip for the price of that bracelet…

Lunch is in a restaurant off to the side of the showroom and is a slew of unmemorable dishes placed on a lazy susan. Katherine and I have taken to buying chocolate in the mornings and subsidizing the lunches, which pale in comparison to our breakfasts.

Juyong Pass

A look out tower along the Great Wall.

Finally, after the shopping spree and lunch, we’re off to the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall. This is one of the most visited sections of the Great Wall, a) because of its proximity to Beijing, and b) because it is home to one of the wall’s greatest passes and forts, Juyong.

Michael covers our admission costs and sets us free. We’re told to reconvene at the bus at 2:30, which gives us almost 2 hours to explore and trek. Katherine, the boys and I trek up to the top tower at our own paces, stopping to savor the views in all directions.

The Great Wall of China.

The Juyongguan section of the Great Wall

While we’re standing on a part of the wall that feels massive to us, we look off in the distance to see pieces of the wall that look like specs. I follow the wall as far as my eye can see, and it looks like a little pencil thin trail hugging the mountains off in the distance.

It’s difficult to find words that match hundreds of years of craftsmanship from 700BC… not to mention 8000 kilometers of it. It’s a marvel and it’s awe-inspiring.

We begin the trek back down and explore the small courtyards and pagodas near the pass before heading back to the bus.

Michael informs us that on the way back to the city, we will make a surprise stop at the Institute of Chinese Medicine, where everyone will get a free 30-minute foot massage. This pleases everyone who has just hiked for the last couple of hours, but Katherine and I look at each other, wondering what other scheme we’re in for. “Don’t worry,” Michael says. “You no pay, just give them tip of $2 if they do good job.”

The Chinese Medical Institute.

Himalayan herbs.

So, the tour bus makes a right turn into the medical institute and we’re shuffled off the bus, into a building and further into a room filled with over-sized pink cushy chairs. A man in a white coat gives a short presentation on the importance of Chinese medicine and the history of the institute, and then one by one, workers come in carrying buckets of hot water.

Himalayan foot soak.

They line up in front of all of us and dump sachets of Himalayan herbs into the water and instruct us to place our feet in the buckets. Then the doctors begin to make their rounds, looking at everyone’s hands, and giving out their diagnoses, all while the workers begin our promised 30-minute foot massage.

The foot massage ends up being about 10 minutes, and no one comes to read our palms. They seem to know who to go to, and after selling a couple of “regimens” at anywhere from a couple of hundred to a couple of thousand dollars, it seems our time is up.

Free foot massages.

I stop one of the docs, who takes my pulse and says, “Ah, it seems you have low blood pressure.” Well, no shit,” I think!?! No one collects a tip for the massage, and we’re shuffled out and back on to the bus as quickly as we were shuffled in. Pictures of Obama and Clinton during their visits hang on the walls, as if to give the place a bit more credibility. And don’t get me wrong, I’m the daughter of a naturopath, and I buy into all this stuff, just not at the rate of $2,000.

I get back on the bus and ask English Nick, who likes a good beer, what his thoughts were on all of that. He looks at me and says, “Well, my livers done, but that’s nothing I didn’t know.”

Peking Duck dinner.

Now, we have been given the option of a Peking Duck dinner, and since this was mine and Katherine’s plan anyways, we decide to join the group, as we both know if we get back to the hotel, we’d have a hard time dragging ourselves back out.  We begin the long drive through Beijing’s rush hour and arrive at the restaurant almost 1 1/2 hours later. The dinner is overpriced and a little underwhelming, and we realize we could have done better on our own, but we’ve checked it off the Beijing to-do list.

We arrive back at the hotel and think back on the day. All we really wanted to see was the Great Wall, and since hindsight is 20/20, we’re realizing we should’ve just organized our own tour separate from the group. We’re starting to understand how this trip is going to play out though. And we’re thankful that the following day’s events are optional. We have a free morning in Beijing before moving on to Shanghai later in the afternoon…. TBC.

 

 

Around the world travel, Bucket List, China, Compass Holidays, Travel, Travelzoo

13 Hours and 13 Miles in Beijing

After surprisingly being able to sleep through the night, we wake feeling pretty rested and ready to tackle our first day in Beijing. First things first, breakfast… and oh, what a treat this is. It’s dinner time to our bodies and we’ve had nothing but airplane food for the past few meals, so we take advantage of what’s on offer, and that’s basically everything and anything you can think of… sushi, dumplings, steamed pork buns, preserved eggs, bok choy, omelettes, soup, fruit, etc etc.

A bike rental stand near Happy Valley.

While Michael rounds up the group for the guided tour, we try to get a cup of coffee from the very over-worked machine (It seems to be one employee’s job to monitor the machine, dump the coffee grounds, and generally encourage everyone to drink more green tea and less coffee!)

We  make plans for our day exploring Beijing. We’re on the southern outskirts of the city, and the closest metro stop is “Happy Valley,” named appropriately for the amusement park that sits between our hotel and the metro station. Unfortunately, we have to walk around it, but this affords us a little glimpse into rush hour. In a city comprised of 23 million people, there are 6 million cars on the road, but no motorcycles or trucks are allowed during the day. BUT, there are an estimated 10 million bicycles on the road (yes, you can google this to verify). Bicycles seem to have their own lane between walkers and the roadway, and all across the city are bicycle rental stops that look like the picture above. Bicycles are rented by using a QR code and are free for the first two hours. Michael informs us that funnily enough, most rentals last about 1 hour and 58 minutes.

Katherine getting tickets to Tiananmen.

Beijing’s metro system.

We make our way into Happy Valley metro station and begin to try to figure out our route to Tiananmen Square when a lovely young worker comes over to help us. She speaks no English, but chats away to us quickly in Chinese as we point to station names on the screen. She is all smiles and kindness and soon we have 2 tickets that will get us to Tiananmen Square East. The metro is extremely clean (like the rest of the city) and incredibly efficient. We have a couple of line changes, and about 30 minutes later, we arrive at Tiananmen Square.

Forbidden City

Forbidden City

We queue up with hundreds of Chinese tourists to clear security and immediately head over to tour the Forbidden City, which is the former imperial palace of the Ming (1490-1644)& Qing (1644-1912) Dynasties.

A giant marble carving at the Forbidden City

Details on the eaves, Forbidden City

This is a sprawling complex that occupies almost 200 acres and boasts 980 rooms. After two hours of exploring courtyards, pavilions, gates and halls of harmony and tranquility, we exit the Forbidden City to the north in need of our own tranquility.

Jingshan Park

Fortunately, we’re standing right outside Jingshan Park, so we purchase the 2¥ ticket and enter the grounds of this peaceful little park, which was built during the Jin Dynasty and opened to the public as a park in 1928.

Come to find out this is one of the best preserved imperial gardens in all of China and historically important as it’s the place where Emperor Chongzhen (a ruler during the Ming Dynasty) hanged himself in 1644.

Looking down to the Forbidden City

Beijing as seen from Wanchun Pavilion.

We climb the footpath up to Wanchun Pavilion (meaning Everlasting Spring) and enjoy incredible views of the Forbidden City below and panoramic views of Beijing’s skyline.

Candy apples for sale.

When we leave the park, hunger is setting in, but seeing no nearby restaurants or cafes, we’re at the mercy of the street food vendors. Lunch, or our snack, is street corn and candy apples.

The Temple of Heaven.

We begin the walk back to Tiananmen East station and take the train over to Temple of Heaven, where we spend the afternoon exploring another sprawling imperial palace complex.

After nearing the point of being “templed out,” we enter the Long Corridor and see hundreds of people gathered in groups of four, playing an intense card game. We take a break and look on for a bit, seeing if we can figure out who’s in charge, what the buy in is, and the rules of the game.

A lady debates her next move.

Scariest tuk tuk ride ever!

We’re getting seriously hungry, so we head to Hutong in search of food. We arrive (barely) by China’s equivalent of a tuk tuk. We were either going to die by ingesting fumes or getting leveled in traffic, as our driver seemed to think he was driving a truck, not a tuk tuk.

We begin to explore the many little side streets of this area, and it doesn’t take us long to spot a cook in the window of a noodle shop rolling out fresh dough for dumplings. We look no further and enter a stark, cafeteria style restaurant.

Best meal in Beijing.

Kung Pao chicken.

Dumplings!!

A lady ushers us to a booth and looks at us inquisitively. After using hand gestures to make the shape of a menu, she brings us a 40-page bound book with pictures of every dish available. We choose kung pao chicken and dumplings, which come out within minutes and immediately bring us back to life.

At this point in time, I decide to check my fitbit and see that we’ve walked close to 12 miles already. By the time we get back to the hotel, we’ve clocked another mile.

We see Michael who lets us know our start time for tomorrow is 8am, and there will be a 6:30 wake up call followed by breakfast at 7am.  I suck up all this “organized” stuff and let the excitement of our trip to the Great Wall set in.

 

Around the world travel, Backpacking, Bucket List, China, Compass Holidays, Guided Tour, long term travel, Travel

“Follow Michael” – The Beginning Of My Guided Tour Through China

Even just a few years back, if you’d asked me if I would consider booking, book, or actually go on a guided tour, the answer would have been “no.” Not just an “i don’t think so,” or a “let me think about it,” but an ‘it’s against my religion kind of “no.” ‘ You see, in the world of hard core travel, guided tours are like the cardinal sin. They’re the easy way out for the traveler who doesn’t want to do the planning, for the apprehensive traveler who’s afraid of the language barrier, or for the fearful one who thinks the location isn’t safe to tackle alone. They’re the opposite of authenticity.

Hainan Airlines from Boston to Beijing

Well, forgive me Father of Travel because I have sinned… and I’ve gone and booked a cheaper than chips 8-day GUIDED trip to China. I hope that given this is close to my 65th country, I have some sort of clout… but as I see the Compass Holiday flag in the busy arrival hall upon landing in Beijing, I wonder if I have sold myself out.

After the 13 1/2 hour flight, I’m too tired to really think about it that much, and in my zombie state, I curse the missing two travelers our group of 20 or so is waiting for.

After about an hour of waiting, our Chinese tour guide, “Michael” who refers to himself in the third person, rounds up the group, and exclaims very loudly and in his very thick accent, “Follow Michael.” And we do as said, and make our way to the tour bus waiting outside.

It’s 10pm now, 9am to our bodies, so we don’t know if we should feel ready to go to bed or start the day. We board the bus for the 40-minute drive to the promised 4-star hotel, and Michael begins our first Chinese history lesson… Communism, Socialism, Mings and Qings. My friend Katherine, who I roped into taking this trip with me, is asleep in the seat next to me. I fight sleep as Michael tells us, “China is a chicken: Beijing is the neck, Shanghai is the belly, Hong Kong is the foot. ” He then comes around to sell us water and see if we want to opt in for the Beijing City Tour the following day. No, no thanks. We’re all set and will explore on our own. Katherine and I are two of the four people not opting in to the guided tour the following day.

Garden International Hotel, Beijing

As we drive, I see a pretty, ornate building and wonder if it’s our hotel. I nudge Katherine. “Wouldn’t that be awesome if it was our hotel?” I say, as the bus turns around and pulls in to the entrance.

THE Toilet

We step off the bus, gather our bags and make our way to the lobby to get checked in. It’s late and the hotel is empty, but the staff is eagerly waiting to assist us. We get our keys and head to our room, which is just as luxurious as the view of the hotel from the roadway. Not to mention the heated toilet seat!

 

I call the front desk to confirm what time breakfast is, and the employee that answers the phone uses google translate to tell me to “hold on one second” and “I will call you right back.” And he does, breakfast is 7am-10am on the 2nd floor.

I quickly try to check Facebook, Instagram, email…Nothing. It’s looking like I’m going to have a nice digital detox while in China.

Despite the time difference, we crawl into our comfy beds and sleep. And I wonder what this guided trip has in store for us?