olimaspecto
May 18, 06, 9:49 pm
This is my first trip report and I am writing it in installments so here is the first bit. Hope you enjoy!
Here is the album of photos:
http://community.webshots.com/album/550402574hvewut
I will try and post links to specific photos, but the above link has them all too.
----------------------------------------------------------
Taking advantage of American’s introductory fares to PVG and the study period at the end of my semester at school, I planned a roundtrip BOS-PVG. While I was tempted to do a pure (or near pure) mileage run, never having been to China before I decided to make it a more leisurely trip. My friend Chris (who lives in LAX) wanted to go too and take advantage of the 1.0 EQM fares to complete a PLAT challenge. I used eVIPS to upgrade both of us roundtrip, so it was J all the way. Both flights also were equipped with suites, in case anyone was wondering. I have uploaded pictures from the trip on Web Shots and you can view them there.
Thursday, May 4, 2006 (BOS-DCA-ORD-PVG)
I took a 6:00am flight out of BOS-DCA on an RJ. Uneventful and made it to DCA with plenty of time to spare. In DCA, made a quick stop at the AC and then went to my gate to get on my flight to ORD. Flight left on time and was served the continental breakfast; it arrived ORD, where I would meet up with Chris, on-time. Chris was in the AC when I got there so met him then we proceeded over the FL lounge. This is one of my favorite lounges in the system because of the offerings (though they could do with a few more computers).
We left the lounge at about 10:15am to board the flight (leaving at 11:05am) but it wasn’t boarding, though from the mass of people at the gate it seemed as if boarding was imminent. I had been checking the flight’s on-time performance for the past few days and knew that it had been getting into PVG later than expected because of winds (which was of concern because we were making a connection to PEK). Anyhow, the GA kept on pushing the time back and finally we left at about 12:30pm; the problem was some combination of an electrical problem and a computer glitch.
Once onboard, service was good and we flew the polar route, though it was cloudy underneath for most of the flight. I had my laptop so didn’t watch any of the on board entertainment but I did notice the Chinese language selection. As for the food, there were three meal services: the main one served right after takeoff, a mid-flight snack, and a pre-landing lunch service. I didn’t go hungry at all on the 13+ hour flight so it seemed fine to me. Check my photos for images of the J-Class menus.
Friday, May 5, 2006 (PVG-PEK)
We landed at PVG about 4:00pm (105 minutes late) and I was thankful I had booked the 6:45pm departure to PEK on Air China-CA) rather than the 4:00pm China Eastern (MU) flight. Neither of us had checked our bags so we easily got through customs and straight through baggage claim to go back and check-in for our CA flight. I had booked all of our tickets electronically using http://www.yoee.com after searching Flyer Talk and must admit was slightly concerned about whether we would have tickets or not after arriving at Pudong. After leaving the secured area from baggage claim we took the escalators back upstairs to the ticketing level to find our check-in to PEK.
We found the appropriate area to check-in for our flight but after standing in line for 10 minutes were told by the agent that we needed to go to the CA ticketing desk, which was located further down in the terminal. We went over there, gave them our boarding passports and then she finally gave us our paper tickets and told us to go back and check-in. After heading back over to the check-in desk we were told we had to check both of our bags (a minor annoyance) and then were given our boarding passes. At security we had to show them both our paper tickets and the boarding passes (major redundancy for what I thought were e-tickets) and then made our way to our gate. There were some other Americans on our flight, part of a tour group I think, and the plane boarded on time.
They didn’t use a jet way but instead put us on a bus and then drove us out to the plane. The weather was fine, so no big deal here. Once the plane was ready to go they announced that we were going to be held because of air traffic control and we left about 30 minutes later (delaying our arrival in PEK from 8:55pm to 9:30pm). This flight was also uneventful, though we were served a meal in Y of either rice/noodles and beef; the plane was a 737-800.
By the time we arrived in PEK and had claimed our bags it was nearing 10:00pm and as we were to be picked up by a car service from the St. Regis Beijing that I had booked with my reservation, I had hoped they would wait for us. They did indeed, and had a sign right after leaving the baggage claim area. It was about 30 minutes from the airport to the hotel (with no traffic) and we were both exhausted by the time we arrived. The check-in desk was waiting with my room keys and welcomed us enthusiastically. We had been upgraded to Diplomat Deluxe Room (thanks to my SPG Gold) and were greeted at the room by our butler (who we did not use at all throughout the stay). Both of us showered and then we were off to bed, exhausted from a long day of travel.
Saturday, May 6, 2006 (PEK)
We had breakfast by 8:00am in the buffet downstairs (also part of the roommate, and a great value I might add). This was one of the best buffet breakfasts I had ever eaten at and they had so many different items to choose from.
After breakfast we headed downtown and to Tiananmen Square, Mao’s Body, the Monument to the People, and the Museums. There was a long line to view Mao’s body but it moved quickly; it was amazing to see the reverence with which so many Chinese (including the children) view their former leader. Tiananmen Square was quite breathtaking (both in size and in knowing what happened here). As a side note, I heard a rumor from a friend that if you search for “Tiananmen Square” on Google in China that nothing would come up, but I tried and it brought up everything about the massacre (including photos). Back to the trip, we also went inside the museums on the East Side of the Square and they were less than spectacular, with the coolest part being the semi-life like wax statutes of famous people (including Mao, Yao, Einstein, and the like).
A little after noon we headed back to the hotel to get some lunch and then we were off to the Silk Market to check out the shopping scene. I was expecting it to be an actual market (outdoors with stalls, or something similar to the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul), but it was actually more like a shopping mall. It was very organized and had just about anything you could imagine in copied form. We had a list from friends and relatives of what to get them but we wouldn’t buy it all now of course, as we wanted to check prices. I felt pretty good after my first few bargaining attempts (some Lacoste shirts for $10 each), but also realized that if I wanted to try harder I could definitely get things much cheaper. We spent about an hour at the Silk Market and then went back to the hotel (after stopping at the fake Starbucks on the way).
From the hotel we took a cab to the Heavenly Palace, which was quite nice. It was a Saturday and there were lots of people all around. The grounds were quite nice, and I would definitely recommend getting the Audio Tour if you forget your guide book. It’s only $5 (plus a deposit) and it gives a nice insight into the meanings of many of the buildings. Also, similar to the guide in the Forbidden City, the electronic guide works with wireless sensors throughout the grounds that automatically plays selections as you approach the relevant building and highlights your position on the map. From the Heavenly Palace we went to the San Li Tun market. It was very, very similar to Silk Market, but slightly smaller. IMO, there is no need to visit both, but some say you can find better bargains at the San Li Tun.
We then went back to the hotel and enjoyed the Happy Hour (which is available to all guests of the hotel) and both ended up falling asleep early. Before we went to bed though, I did go down to the hotel’s concierge (which doubles as a Gray Line Travel Agent) to book our tour to the Great Wall at Si Ma Tai for the next morning with guide and driver. Total cost for both of us and admission, car, driver, and guide was Y1600.
Sunday, May 7, 2006 (PEK)
We were up early so we could have breakfast before leaving at 8:00am for the three hour drive to Si Ma Tai. The Great Wall was by far the number one attraction I had wanted to see and I really wanted to get out of town and avoid Badaling and Mutianyu, and see the wall in its unrestored form. En route, we stopped at a copper art factory and it reminded me of when I was in Ireland and we stopped on the way to Derry at the Beleek Factory or on the way to Waterford at the crystal factory; see how the stuff is made on a small tour, then led to the purchase room and “encouraged” to buy. There were some neat Christmas ornaments that I ended up buying for my mom and grandma, but most of the other stuff was just okay.
After leaving the factory, which was about halfway on the drive to the Great Wall, we continued on up into the foothills. Our guide gave us a lot of history about the area and we were able to ask her all the questions we had about China and Chinese culture. It was especially interesting to see how she views world events like Iraq, North Korea, Iran, etc. and to learn about her lifestyle in Beijing.
We finally arrived at Si Ma Tai at about 11:30am and took the cable car up to the hike starting point. There were not many people here at all, and the cable cars were almost entirely empty. It’s a bit of a steep hike/walk from where you get off the cable car to the actual wall and all along the way you will be followed by local “farmers” who try and sell you souvenirs. Once you reach the wall, the only word to describe it is --- spectacular. You’re on the top of a ridge, on the crumbling Great Wall, and can see for miles around the valleys and hills.
We spent about an hour up top, taking photos, and hiked a fair amount of the length to where the road has been blocked. We had the souvenir-hawking farmers tailing us the whole way, trying to take our photos and sell us stuff, but once we kept ignoring them for about 30 minutes they finally gave up and went back down the mountain. After seeing Si Ma Tai I would also like to see the other portions of the wall, as everyone I talked to up top said that Mutianyu actually has pretty scenery (though also more tourists). We were done with the wall by about 1:30pm and then prepared for the long ride back to Beijing. We opted not to eat at the Wall and instead were going to have an early dinner.
Arriving back in Beijing at about 4:00pm, we again went to the Silk Market to do some heavier shopping. I had researched online some more regarding prices and also consolidated our lists. I was able to get the shirts down to about $4.00 each and some luggage/backpacks in the $10-$20 range (so that we could hold all of our booty). I also found some Diesel, Nike, and Lacoste shoes for $10-$15 a pair, North face windbreaker style jackets for $10-$15, and ties for $1 each. Like I said before, the prices could probably have gone even lower but I don’t speak Chinese at all, nor did I have enough motivation to haggle harder over a buck or two per shirt. As anyone who has been to the Silk Market says, do be sure to check the quality and style of shirts (i.e. make sure the buttons are all on fairly good and that zippers work).
An uneventful night and again early to bed. Last night in the St. Regis as we would be moving to the Great Wall Sheraton on Monday.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
More to come soon...
Here is the album of photos:
http://community.webshots.com/album/550402574hvewut
I will try and post links to specific photos, but the above link has them all too.
----------------------------------------------------------
Taking advantage of American’s introductory fares to PVG and the study period at the end of my semester at school, I planned a roundtrip BOS-PVG. While I was tempted to do a pure (or near pure) mileage run, never having been to China before I decided to make it a more leisurely trip. My friend Chris (who lives in LAX) wanted to go too and take advantage of the 1.0 EQM fares to complete a PLAT challenge. I used eVIPS to upgrade both of us roundtrip, so it was J all the way. Both flights also were equipped with suites, in case anyone was wondering. I have uploaded pictures from the trip on Web Shots and you can view them there.
Thursday, May 4, 2006 (BOS-DCA-ORD-PVG)
I took a 6:00am flight out of BOS-DCA on an RJ. Uneventful and made it to DCA with plenty of time to spare. In DCA, made a quick stop at the AC and then went to my gate to get on my flight to ORD. Flight left on time and was served the continental breakfast; it arrived ORD, where I would meet up with Chris, on-time. Chris was in the AC when I got there so met him then we proceeded over the FL lounge. This is one of my favorite lounges in the system because of the offerings (though they could do with a few more computers).
We left the lounge at about 10:15am to board the flight (leaving at 11:05am) but it wasn’t boarding, though from the mass of people at the gate it seemed as if boarding was imminent. I had been checking the flight’s on-time performance for the past few days and knew that it had been getting into PVG later than expected because of winds (which was of concern because we were making a connection to PEK). Anyhow, the GA kept on pushing the time back and finally we left at about 12:30pm; the problem was some combination of an electrical problem and a computer glitch.
Once onboard, service was good and we flew the polar route, though it was cloudy underneath for most of the flight. I had my laptop so didn’t watch any of the on board entertainment but I did notice the Chinese language selection. As for the food, there were three meal services: the main one served right after takeoff, a mid-flight snack, and a pre-landing lunch service. I didn’t go hungry at all on the 13+ hour flight so it seemed fine to me. Check my photos for images of the J-Class menus.
Friday, May 5, 2006 (PVG-PEK)
We landed at PVG about 4:00pm (105 minutes late) and I was thankful I had booked the 6:45pm departure to PEK on Air China-CA) rather than the 4:00pm China Eastern (MU) flight. Neither of us had checked our bags so we easily got through customs and straight through baggage claim to go back and check-in for our CA flight. I had booked all of our tickets electronically using http://www.yoee.com after searching Flyer Talk and must admit was slightly concerned about whether we would have tickets or not after arriving at Pudong. After leaving the secured area from baggage claim we took the escalators back upstairs to the ticketing level to find our check-in to PEK.
We found the appropriate area to check-in for our flight but after standing in line for 10 minutes were told by the agent that we needed to go to the CA ticketing desk, which was located further down in the terminal. We went over there, gave them our boarding passports and then she finally gave us our paper tickets and told us to go back and check-in. After heading back over to the check-in desk we were told we had to check both of our bags (a minor annoyance) and then were given our boarding passes. At security we had to show them both our paper tickets and the boarding passes (major redundancy for what I thought were e-tickets) and then made our way to our gate. There were some other Americans on our flight, part of a tour group I think, and the plane boarded on time.
They didn’t use a jet way but instead put us on a bus and then drove us out to the plane. The weather was fine, so no big deal here. Once the plane was ready to go they announced that we were going to be held because of air traffic control and we left about 30 minutes later (delaying our arrival in PEK from 8:55pm to 9:30pm). This flight was also uneventful, though we were served a meal in Y of either rice/noodles and beef; the plane was a 737-800.
By the time we arrived in PEK and had claimed our bags it was nearing 10:00pm and as we were to be picked up by a car service from the St. Regis Beijing that I had booked with my reservation, I had hoped they would wait for us. They did indeed, and had a sign right after leaving the baggage claim area. It was about 30 minutes from the airport to the hotel (with no traffic) and we were both exhausted by the time we arrived. The check-in desk was waiting with my room keys and welcomed us enthusiastically. We had been upgraded to Diplomat Deluxe Room (thanks to my SPG Gold) and were greeted at the room by our butler (who we did not use at all throughout the stay). Both of us showered and then we were off to bed, exhausted from a long day of travel.
Saturday, May 6, 2006 (PEK)
We had breakfast by 8:00am in the buffet downstairs (also part of the roommate, and a great value I might add). This was one of the best buffet breakfasts I had ever eaten at and they had so many different items to choose from.
After breakfast we headed downtown and to Tiananmen Square, Mao’s Body, the Monument to the People, and the Museums. There was a long line to view Mao’s body but it moved quickly; it was amazing to see the reverence with which so many Chinese (including the children) view their former leader. Tiananmen Square was quite breathtaking (both in size and in knowing what happened here). As a side note, I heard a rumor from a friend that if you search for “Tiananmen Square” on Google in China that nothing would come up, but I tried and it brought up everything about the massacre (including photos). Back to the trip, we also went inside the museums on the East Side of the Square and they were less than spectacular, with the coolest part being the semi-life like wax statutes of famous people (including Mao, Yao, Einstein, and the like).
A little after noon we headed back to the hotel to get some lunch and then we were off to the Silk Market to check out the shopping scene. I was expecting it to be an actual market (outdoors with stalls, or something similar to the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul), but it was actually more like a shopping mall. It was very organized and had just about anything you could imagine in copied form. We had a list from friends and relatives of what to get them but we wouldn’t buy it all now of course, as we wanted to check prices. I felt pretty good after my first few bargaining attempts (some Lacoste shirts for $10 each), but also realized that if I wanted to try harder I could definitely get things much cheaper. We spent about an hour at the Silk Market and then went back to the hotel (after stopping at the fake Starbucks on the way).
From the hotel we took a cab to the Heavenly Palace, which was quite nice. It was a Saturday and there were lots of people all around. The grounds were quite nice, and I would definitely recommend getting the Audio Tour if you forget your guide book. It’s only $5 (plus a deposit) and it gives a nice insight into the meanings of many of the buildings. Also, similar to the guide in the Forbidden City, the electronic guide works with wireless sensors throughout the grounds that automatically plays selections as you approach the relevant building and highlights your position on the map. From the Heavenly Palace we went to the San Li Tun market. It was very, very similar to Silk Market, but slightly smaller. IMO, there is no need to visit both, but some say you can find better bargains at the San Li Tun.
We then went back to the hotel and enjoyed the Happy Hour (which is available to all guests of the hotel) and both ended up falling asleep early. Before we went to bed though, I did go down to the hotel’s concierge (which doubles as a Gray Line Travel Agent) to book our tour to the Great Wall at Si Ma Tai for the next morning with guide and driver. Total cost for both of us and admission, car, driver, and guide was Y1600.
Sunday, May 7, 2006 (PEK)
We were up early so we could have breakfast before leaving at 8:00am for the three hour drive to Si Ma Tai. The Great Wall was by far the number one attraction I had wanted to see and I really wanted to get out of town and avoid Badaling and Mutianyu, and see the wall in its unrestored form. En route, we stopped at a copper art factory and it reminded me of when I was in Ireland and we stopped on the way to Derry at the Beleek Factory or on the way to Waterford at the crystal factory; see how the stuff is made on a small tour, then led to the purchase room and “encouraged” to buy. There were some neat Christmas ornaments that I ended up buying for my mom and grandma, but most of the other stuff was just okay.
After leaving the factory, which was about halfway on the drive to the Great Wall, we continued on up into the foothills. Our guide gave us a lot of history about the area and we were able to ask her all the questions we had about China and Chinese culture. It was especially interesting to see how she views world events like Iraq, North Korea, Iran, etc. and to learn about her lifestyle in Beijing.
We finally arrived at Si Ma Tai at about 11:30am and took the cable car up to the hike starting point. There were not many people here at all, and the cable cars were almost entirely empty. It’s a bit of a steep hike/walk from where you get off the cable car to the actual wall and all along the way you will be followed by local “farmers” who try and sell you souvenirs. Once you reach the wall, the only word to describe it is --- spectacular. You’re on the top of a ridge, on the crumbling Great Wall, and can see for miles around the valleys and hills.
We spent about an hour up top, taking photos, and hiked a fair amount of the length to where the road has been blocked. We had the souvenir-hawking farmers tailing us the whole way, trying to take our photos and sell us stuff, but once we kept ignoring them for about 30 minutes they finally gave up and went back down the mountain. After seeing Si Ma Tai I would also like to see the other portions of the wall, as everyone I talked to up top said that Mutianyu actually has pretty scenery (though also more tourists). We were done with the wall by about 1:30pm and then prepared for the long ride back to Beijing. We opted not to eat at the Wall and instead were going to have an early dinner.
Arriving back in Beijing at about 4:00pm, we again went to the Silk Market to do some heavier shopping. I had researched online some more regarding prices and also consolidated our lists. I was able to get the shirts down to about $4.00 each and some luggage/backpacks in the $10-$20 range (so that we could hold all of our booty). I also found some Diesel, Nike, and Lacoste shoes for $10-$15 a pair, North face windbreaker style jackets for $10-$15, and ties for $1 each. Like I said before, the prices could probably have gone even lower but I don’t speak Chinese at all, nor did I have enough motivation to haggle harder over a buck or two per shirt. As anyone who has been to the Silk Market says, do be sure to check the quality and style of shirts (i.e. make sure the buttons are all on fairly good and that zippers work).
An uneventful night and again early to bed. Last night in the St. Regis as we would be moving to the Great Wall Sheraton on Monday.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
More to come soon...