Summer trip 2009 Part 1
Thursday, July 16th, 2009June 13, 2009: DB took me to the airport, found out my scheduled American Airline (AA) flight departing Minneapolis (MSP) to Dalls, Fort Worth (DFW) was canceled. Confirmed me on another flight departing MSP 15 minutes earlier to Chicago (ORD), ORD to Narita (NRT) which worked out great with my other connecting flight from Narita (NRT) to Beijing (PKG) by Japan Airlines (JAL).
June 14, 2009: Arrived Beijing on time at 9:15 p.m. but all passengers were detained inside the plane for H1N1 check BS. Didn’t get out to the Arrival hall till passed 10 p.m. My mom, bro, and his “wife” were there to meet me. I was so happy to see my mom again. We all took a cab back to the hotel, Botai Hotel. I initially booked a hotel at Wangfujiang Da Wan Hotel for 2 rooms and guaranteed them with my credit card, too, but they still let the rooms go after 6 p.m. Have to make a note to T’ed them good. Oh, and bro and mom noticed that the cab driver purposely took us the long way around to the hotel from the airport. So, there, first day in China already kena ketuk good. BTW, mom and gang arrived from KUL to Tianjin and took a bullet train to Beijing (30+ minutes). They arrived at the hotel past 6 p.m.
Botai Hotel located on this street
After unloading my luggage, we took a walk to hunt for food. We wanted to go to Wangfujiang Street for food. Walk, walk asked a lady who was collecting plastic bottles for directions. She said to follow her. She took us to a small alley and more small alleys and finally she said “you turn right, straight on and you will be at WFJ Street).” Hahahaha, we walked and walked and finally said screwed it, we stopped at this shop for food since it was already past 11 p.m. Btw, first impression of Beijing in the dark, it was hazy and damn noisy. All the honking.
There were no empty tables but the worker (with the cigi butt) told his buddies to move, cleared the tables filled with satay sticks, beer bottles, and glasses for us 4. Sat down and that’s where the chickens and ducks started their conversation on what to order for food. Asked for pork in our noodles and found out they are Muslims. See the Arabic words on the picture?? Duh!!! We had each a bowl of noodles with beef and 10 sticks of BBQed lamb which we didn’t finished. The lamb sticks were too gamey smelling and laden with salt to the max.
June 15, 2009: Had our breakfast of champions (noodles and sui kau) at one of the little shops along the hotel area. Then start of walking expedition to Tiananmen Square. We walked and walked and my favorite phrase in Putong-hua: “Ni hui shuo ying wen ma?” were thrown at the locals for when we need directions. Bro speaks better Chinese than I do. Mom understands more than I do, too. She said thanks to Astro! We walked past this beautiful cathedral, the Wangfujing Cathedral.

Then saw Bank of China, somewhere near Wangfujng Street, did some transactions there and asked a guy for directions to Tiananmen Sq just along the street where he parked his car. After getting directions from him, that guy asked where else we are visiting in Beijing. We told him (Great Wall) and he asked if we want him to be our guide. We agreed and told him we will have him to take us to Badaling Great Wall, Ming Tombs and Temple of Heaven the next day for RMB400 the whole day and transportation another RMB700. We didn’t book any tours for the entire trip in China.
This guide, Mr. Lai, I think that’s his name, then drove us to Forbidden City, the south entrance but still need to hop into one of those golf carts to the front entrance for tickets. Finally, we saw this while walking towards the ticket booths. We didn’t go in from the main entrance. Too bad the entire day and all the days we were in Beijing were hazy. Seeing the Tiananmen Square through one of those gates, I was happy. A feeling of, wow, I’m now in the Forbidden City, imagination run wild on how the emperor and his entourage came the gates.
Walked in, got our tickets. Walking into the cool, breezy passages of the gates were a nice relieved from the steamy temperature.
After walking past one big compound to another and finally to the Gates of Meridian and then, saw the main big hall, Hall of Supreme Harmony. Finally!! My mind went wild again with all kinds of images how the emperor was carried on his sedan chair along the middle path which is marble, btw and his soldiers all kneeling before him. Grand feeling.
We walked almost the whole of Forbidden City, of course, we skipped some sections as they all looked the same! We got there around 10:30-ish a.m. and didn’t get out of there till 4+ p.m. We went from the middle, right side all the way to the end and then walked the left side of the city, see map. There were Halls after Halls we saw. Can’t even remember the names. I know they don’t look the same, but to my eyes, they all look the same; mainly because we don’t know Chinese. Then the rooms of the concubines, and back to the front where we came in.
Here is a slideshow of some of the pics I took while in the City, Tiananmen Square and finally the Ancient City Gate.


















