Quick Beijing trip report
Dec 17, 2015 | 1:45 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: Delta Gold, silver, what yr is it?
Posts: 2,516
Quick Beijing trip report
Well, my 2nd project in China in the past 4 years has ended, so I wanted to thank all of you for the assistance & advice you've provided in that time! No clue if/when I'll have a "next" China project so I'm not anticipating any trips in the near future....
Since Sept 2014, I had 3 trips to Shanghai, and 1 trip to Beijing. I think I did more "touring" in 2 days in Beijing than I did in all my trips to Shanghai (though I definitely did more shopping in Shanghai!)
A few photos:
https://picasaweb.google.com/1026081...ngDecember2015
We stayed at the Hubei hotel - close to a subway station so that was fine. It was close to Peking University, one of the meeting organizers, and the meeting was held in the hotel, so it was fine for the trip and we did end up staying there the extra day while we toured - seemed easier than wasting time with a move for just one extra night.
Of course, our trip was during the bad air quality, but we brought masks
This was a business trip - I was with one female co-worker. On the 2nd day of meetings, we snuck out after lunch and went to the National Museum. Huge, exhausting, and the signage was somewhat confusing (we never did find a couple of exhibits we had hoped to find, but we enjoyed what we did see!)
On Wednesday we had a guide all day - Xiao Wei ([email protected]) who took us to the Temple of Heaven, lunch, then the Forbidden City (with a driver, it was $100 per person for the full day, plus lunch) He is a fantastic guide, has been doing this for 10 years, tells great stories and knows the history but is not boring about it. As a one-time history major, I really appreciate that! I like touring in December - not crowded! I mean, it was "regular" crowded for this country girl, but nothing compared to what it would be like in the summer. The haze was bad - a friend recommended I try "dehaze" in Lightroom on my photos but I haven't had a chance to steal my husband's computer and try yet...
Wed night we went to dinner near the hotel with someone we met at the meeting. (British) She speaks a little Chinese. We still ended up with WAY too much food^
We packed up and checked out of the hotel early on Thursday, and Xiao Wei picked us up in his own car (he hadn't been able to drive us the day before because of the even/odd driving restrictions that week). We drove to the Great Wall at Huanghuacheng and that guide really tested my endurance and cardio. My old knees struggled but boy was it worth it! Didn't make it to the very top guard tower as the top segments were inclines - not steps - and far too icy. After we walked & took photos (only 2 other - small - Chinese groups there when we were) he drove us back to Beijing and took us to his supermarket (our request - I love grocery store souvenirs -and he also bought produce for his family dinner
) he took us for dumplings for lunch around the corner, and then dropped us off at the airport. This excursion cost another $100 per person.
I think that he was a fantastic guide and the $400 (plus meals, small tip) was totally worth it for the ease & quality of the tours. I'm normally a DIYer when I travel, but historic sites in China are a little beyond my capabilities (if we hadn't had a guide, I would definitely have rented the audio guides, though online reviews aren't great)
Not sure when I'll be back again - but if my boss asks me to work on a new project, I'll definitely say yes!
Since Sept 2014, I had 3 trips to Shanghai, and 1 trip to Beijing. I think I did more "touring" in 2 days in Beijing than I did in all my trips to Shanghai (though I definitely did more shopping in Shanghai!)
A few photos:
https://picasaweb.google.com/1026081...ngDecember2015
We stayed at the Hubei hotel - close to a subway station so that was fine. It was close to Peking University, one of the meeting organizers, and the meeting was held in the hotel, so it was fine for the trip and we did end up staying there the extra day while we toured - seemed easier than wasting time with a move for just one extra night.
Of course, our trip was during the bad air quality, but we brought masks
This was a business trip - I was with one female co-worker. On the 2nd day of meetings, we snuck out after lunch and went to the National Museum. Huge, exhausting, and the signage was somewhat confusing (we never did find a couple of exhibits we had hoped to find, but we enjoyed what we did see!)On Wednesday we had a guide all day - Xiao Wei ([email protected]) who took us to the Temple of Heaven, lunch, then the Forbidden City (with a driver, it was $100 per person for the full day, plus lunch) He is a fantastic guide, has been doing this for 10 years, tells great stories and knows the history but is not boring about it. As a one-time history major, I really appreciate that! I like touring in December - not crowded! I mean, it was "regular" crowded for this country girl, but nothing compared to what it would be like in the summer. The haze was bad - a friend recommended I try "dehaze" in Lightroom on my photos but I haven't had a chance to steal my husband's computer and try yet...
Wed night we went to dinner near the hotel with someone we met at the meeting. (British) She speaks a little Chinese. We still ended up with WAY too much food^
We packed up and checked out of the hotel early on Thursday, and Xiao Wei picked us up in his own car (he hadn't been able to drive us the day before because of the even/odd driving restrictions that week). We drove to the Great Wall at Huanghuacheng and that guide really tested my endurance and cardio. My old knees struggled but boy was it worth it! Didn't make it to the very top guard tower as the top segments were inclines - not steps - and far too icy. After we walked & took photos (only 2 other - small - Chinese groups there when we were) he drove us back to Beijing and took us to his supermarket (our request - I love grocery store souvenirs -and he also bought produce for his family dinner
) he took us for dumplings for lunch around the corner, and then dropped us off at the airport. This excursion cost another $100 per person.I think that he was a fantastic guide and the $400 (plus meals, small tip) was totally worth it for the ease & quality of the tours. I'm normally a DIYer when I travel, but historic sites in China are a little beyond my capabilities (if we hadn't had a guide, I would definitely have rented the audio guides, though online reviews aren't great)
Not sure when I'll be back again - but if my boss asks me to work on a new project, I'll definitely say yes!
Dec 17, 2015 | 6:46 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: Delta Gold, silver, what yr is it?
Posts: 2,516
Mine was overkill but I knew it was doing the job (can get from Amazon but my husband gave me ours from his shop) http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008MCV43K/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1450403089&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=3m+mask+8233&dpP l=1&dpID=41lRApHX2gL&ref=plSrch
Just get one that filters out particulate matter...
Just get one that filters out particulate matter...