China. More importantly first visit to the First Lounge

[Flying_man]

I think I feel uncomfortable to have personal tour guide. Does it become awkward?

 

[bPeteb]

We had the rest of the afternoon free so decided we'd see what the lines were like at the Forbidden City. We didn't really find out because we were pretty much in before we even realised. Kept looking for lines, and this was a Saturday, but they just weren't there. Declined the offer of a guide who offered us their services and just wandered around for a few hours.

As everyone knows it's huge. There's lots you can't see. There's also lots of the same, just on a vast scale. Some of the stone carving was amazing as were the ceramic details - tile caps, tile wall murals. The gardens weren't what either of us were expecting (not as good). The best parts were the narrow alleyways towards what I'll call the back of the palace complex.

Pictures

 

[bPeteb]

Thirsty, hungry and hot...



Ceramic and painting detail

 

[bPeteb]

last Forbidden City photos



on the walk to the station (way, way further than my partner said it was...)

 

[bPeteb]

some more from the walk



Grand Mercure Beijing Central, pink brick on the right

 

[bPeteb]

Welcome touch and fruit basket were in our room when we got back



Drinks and canapes were 4:30 to 7:30. Our food tour was at 7 and we hadn't had lunch so we made the most of it

 

[bPeteb]

Food tour was again with Lost Plate - Beijing Evening Hutong Food Tour. Again in tuk tuks. It was a disappointment, especially when compared to the first two.

We arrived at the first restaurant and squeezed in - Hot Dried Noodles. Off to the second where there was no table. We stood around for a while and then given the Door Nail Meat Buns to take away to the third. Arrived at the third and again no table. We stood in the courtyard of that place for nearly 30 minutes waiting for them to sort a table out. Luckily the food here was great - spring pancakes was the specialty. The guide was pretty hopeless. Her solution to problems was beer and although I'd normally agree with that in this instance we'd paid good money to stand around. Very poorly organised.

The people we were with were all really nice. Three Israelis (mum, dad, daughter), a pom expat and her brother who lived in Oz, us, and another pom who facially could have been Roger Federer's double.


the remains of the delicious Door Nail Meat Bun



A much smoother and more palatable baijiu

 

[bPeteb]

More food. Spring pancakes. Delicious as well



Back in the tuk tuks to Mongolian bbq that was also delicious. Maybe I'm being a bit hard on the guide? Nah. The start of the tour was a mess and we were running way behind schedule.


Roger Federer's brother. Am I wrong?



We finished in a bar and had a couple of pretty good beers



and then decided we'd get the metro. We got Roger's double on to his but our line had finished for the night.

It was at this point that Pete had his one and only meltdown of the trip.

I'm not one for getting in car that pulls up beside me when I'm looking for a metered taxi. My partner surprised me by getting in. I had what I'd politely describe as an embarrassing freakout. I got in, couldn't get driver to understand where we wanted to go. Partner was of little use in the back seat just pointing to his phone that the driver didn't want to look at. I sat there and swore. Tried to get out. Guy wouldn't stop car. I was a tad concerned for our safety.

Somehow he eventually worked out where we wanted to go, using my phone as the GPS. Said 200 to which I said WTF and partner said yes. He turned up the techno and away we went. Longest 20 minutes of my life. We weren't robbed (we were actually) and we got dropped off outside our hotel. Never again...

 

[bPeteb]

Beijing

Last day...

Went down to reception early to see if I could extend checkout to at least 6. Some communication issues and it sounded like it was going to cost an arm and a leg (half rate of the suite) so I decided we'd see if we could work something out when we came back from the Summer Palace. I should have persisted with my quest before we left as it would have made the day so much less rushed.

Breakfast was great. One of the club ladies was doing eggs to order on a small element

Our favourite and these ones were good!


Um yes, even clearer than the day before!! I forgot to mention the wonderfully unexpected clear air when we arrived into Beijing this time.

 

[bPeteb]

We'd chosen the Summer Palace for the morning's visit. It had come highly recommended the night before with the rider that it would be hell busy. And it was. It was a glorious day and Beijing was making the most of it. We'd got away a bit later than planned, the metro had taken a bit longer than we thought. We ended up racing around. Where we could have spent the whole day we spent less that three hours. Silly.

 

[bPeteb]

More from the Summer Palace Summer Palace - Wikipedia



We literally raced back to the hotel but it turned out we just didn't need to. I spoke to someone different at reception and asked again about late check out. It turned out that 6pm had been noted on the room. I asked how much would that be and it was half of the rate of our actual room at the time we booked (without the 40% discount) so approx AUD95. I then asked what about to 9 and it was full day rate - approx 190. Done. To have that room until 9 was worth every dollar.

We walked straight back out and headed for Temple of Heaven.



Crowded again. Lost our tickets just after we entered when I must have pulled them out of my pocket with my phone (to take this very ordinary picture). Paid again to get into the temple, but not for anything else.

 

[bPeteb]

More at the Temple of Heaven

 

[bPeteb]

Al's favourite icecream of the holiday. Not sweet apparently



followed by some very fatty pork sausages on a stick. Horrible



some more from the temple grounds



Trolley buses. The start of the very long, very fruitless, walk to Tian'anmen Square

 

[bPeteb]

the continuation of the walk


As close as we could get to the square. Booked out by a travel company!!



We were back to the hotel in time for happy hour take two. We were starving and thirsty, very thirsty

While we were sat there we both got a text message telling us that the flight had been delayed an hour. So we took our time with those last drinks. The staff were in no rush to shoo us out.

So glad we'd kept the room. It was so nice to be able to take a leisurely shower and wear freshly ironed clothes to the airport.

We took the metro and then Airport Express out to the airport.

No-one in front of us at the premium check-in counter. Checked through to Brisbane but I forgot to ask about moving our connecting flight in Sydney as we wouldn't make it. Gave cards for both Cathay Pacific Lounge and 'shower lounge' as the Cathay Lounge doesn't have one. Premium security and immigration took minutes.

The lounge is super ordinary. Food offerings dismal. Lucky we'd filled up in the club lounge at the Grand Mercure. Drink offerings similarly dismal. I found the ice machine and the Baileys and I was set. It was also very hot. At least it wasn't crowded. What a bloody whinger!

Our late arriving ride home

 

[bPeteb]

Settled in to 2A and 4A and time to go home after an amazing holiday.



the menu. Had the cheese, and then had my arm twisted to also have the crepes with a sticky



For breakfast I pre-ordered fruit salad, muesli and yoghurt. How very healthy

 

[Boca68]

Loved the TR @bigpetebrown

China is still on my bucket list. Hong Kong doesn't count. Soon I hope.

If not too personal, how did you and Al find travelling in China as a couple? Any problems? The reason I ask, a good friend and his partner are looking to go next year, but my friend has heard stories of problems for same sex couples outside of Beijing/Shanghai.

 

[bPeteb]

Slept like a baby for close to five hours.

Breakfast. Some concern from the CSM that I hadn't ordered enough! Assured her that I had enough reserves to make it through the day.


I asked about needing to be re-booked on different flight to Brisbane but found out that the boarding passes we'd been given in Beijing already reflected more to flight an hour later.

A view I'll never get tired of



Never heard of Edelweis. A charter airline maybe?



Cheese for me and of all things dumplings for my partner on the commuter back up to Brizvegas



And as Porky Pig would say, "Th-th-th-th-that's all folks"

Hope you enjoyed the report as much as we enjoyed the holiday.

Today we're booking accommodation for next July around Yellowstone. Nine months is so far away..

cheers

pete

 

[bPeteb]

Loved the TR @bigpetebrown

China is still on my bucket list. Hong Kong doesn't count. Soon I hope.

If not too personal, how did you and Al find travelling in China as couple? Any problems? The reason I ask, a good friend and his partner are looking to go next year, but my friend has heard stories of problems for same sex couples outside of Beijing/Shanghai.

Not personal at all Boca.

We had zero problems. I asked the Tour Beijing consultant to book a double in all hotels but that if there were any issues we'd sleep in twin beds. Our guides were both asked at every hotel if one bed was correct and once confirmed the room key was handed over. Who knows what chuckling went on behind the scenes. We spoke at quite some length to our second guide Sophia, a Chengdu native, about all things LGBTI. In fact she initiated the conversation while we were walking in the mountains. I don't have a very good lesbian gaydar. Sophia could well be and that would explain some of what she talked about.

I reckon us being western was more interesting than us being gay

 

[Boca68]

Not personal at all Boca.

We had zero problems. I asked the Tour Beijing consultant to book a double in all hotels but that if there were any issues we'd sleep in twin beds. Our guides were both asked at every hotel if one bed was correct and once confirmed the room key was handed over. Who knows what chuckling went on behind the scenes. We spoke at quite some length to our second guide Sophia, a Chengdu native, about all things LGBTI. In fact she initiated the conversation while we were walking in the mountains. I don't have a very good lesbian gaydar. Sophia could well be and that would explain some of what she talked about.

I reckon us being western was more interesting than us being gay

Thanks @bigpetebrown . I will share the thread with him, maybe give them some inspiration.

 

[bPeteb]

I think I feel uncomfortable to have personal tour guide. Does it become awkward?

In what way flying man? We hate large group travel. Neither of could think of anything worse than piling on to a tour bus with twenty plus people every day and having no control of what we do. We've done three Intrepid Tours now and that's as group as we'd go.

We first tried private guides on our last two trips to South America. First one was just city guides but last year we did two trips just with guides and us - Pantanal and then Sao Luis and the coast.

We love it. We love to chat, Al my partner more than me. So it's a good balance. We don't have to do anything. It's all organised, but it's also changeable. With our first guide Helen the language difficulties caused issues for me but Al was very patient. Helen and the drivers didn't eat with us except for the one dinner in teh market, the best meal we had on that first tour. The second tour was much better from our perspective as we ate every meal but breakfast with both Sophia and Mr Liu. Of course everyone is different but we really enjoyed the experience.