Beijing Travel-log ~ Day 1

In front of Kun Min Hong Lake

I'll start Day 1 as in 'my' Day 1 ok. Coz my friends arrived more or less 12 hours before I did. They arrived in Tianjin and took the bullet train to Beijing. Our cute tourist guide, Max who can speak Indonesian/Malaysian Malay, waited for them in Tianjin Airport and went on the bullet train together with them. While I arrived in Beijing International Airport and another tourist guide waited for me. I was then brought to Summer Palace to join my friends who just came back from the bird nest Olympic Stadium.

Sawan batu

Beautiful scenery here.

I found out that the tourist guide changes the itinerary as his likes. So we wouldn't know where we're going unless he tells us. In any case, Olympic Stadium = checked (without me). I got to see it from afar on the last day.

That's a bird's pose

The weather was nice actually. Cold. But nice. Since I came from a very hot country, I had to cover myself properly in order to adjust with the low temperature.  Hence the inner+t-shirt+sweater+winter jacket. Sunglasses to hide the zombie eyes. 

Then we were brought to the Pearl Centre. It's a government sponsored shop. You'll see that all tour group will have to bring you to all these government link company shop. That's why they can give a very low price coz it's subsidized. Plus, the tourist guide will get tips and commission out of what you buy here. Anyway, this pearl centre used the pearls from the lake inside the Summer Palace itself. They made it to pearl cream, pearl powder and pearl jewelry. 

The price was acceptable. Pearl cream; 150 yuan for 3 cases (free one powder). Pearl brooch; 50 yuan each. Btw, the salesgirl here can speak Malay as well. Most salesperson in Beijing can.

After that, off to my first experience of meal in Beijing. Super bad. They told me the dinner before was worse. Went to a mosque for prayer after lunch then off to Dr Tea House for the tea ceremony.

Again, it's a GLC shop. We didn't buy anything as the tea are all overpriced. So no commission for Max. hehe..

Since we didn't buy anything, the process in the tea house was very quick. We went straight to the Puppet House to watch the acrobatic show. This is the time where I manage to get some rest, as in sleep. wakakka..

After dinner (again, yucks!) we went back to the hotel for the end of day 1.

Hotel; we stayed in Tian Shun Business Hotel outskirts of Beijing. It's a little bit far from the city. Once we're there, we're there. No chance of roaming around. The room was bad. Got some sort of weird smell. And the breakfast was even worse than any other meal in Beijing. We stopped taking breakfast provided on Day 2. Can't take it. Really... So, if you're going to Beijing, do bring a lot of serunding, sambal ikan bilis, a few slices of bread, or the best is Brahim Nasi Goreng Kampung. TERBAIK!!!