the one with remembering... beijing

This was one unexpected trip. Beijing caught me by surprise.

Date: November 26 - 29 2009
Place: Beijing, CHINA <3
With love birds Leizel (Liz) and Alvin
Local Feet and my new friend, Wendy

We spent almost 5 days (help on this one Liz J) in Beijing. My FIRST EVER Asian trip.J

We flew to Beijing via China Southern Airlines. Liz and Alvin used their "miles" kaya sa China Southern ang lipad. Ayaw ko naman humiwalay sa kanila so I purchased a flight with them. Nung mga panahon na to wala pang Beijing flight ang Cebu Pacific (yes wala pa..) at yung Phil Airlines flight sched naman ay hindi sasakto ata sa araw ng bakasyon namin. Kaya gorah kami sa China Southern...

It was a 4 hour flight Manila to Xiamen then Xiamen to Beijing. Sa boarding area palang namin sa NAIA e feel na feel na namin ang China experience dahil kami lang ata ang hindi Chinese sa flight na yun! Haha. 

Isa sa mga hindi ko makakalimutan na travel experiences ay ang lagi kong pagkakaharang sa immigration. Lagi na lang akong may ganyang eksena kapag sa international flights. I remember, ang unang international flight ko ay nung pumunta ako ng Libya. Hindi maniwala ung Libyan Immigration officer na legal ang visa ko (considering isa sa mga kilalang kumpanya ang nagbigay sa akin ng visa at may arabic translation naman ito..) Ito namang papunta namin ng Beijing, naharang ako sa Xiamen Immigration dahil may sinat daw ako. Ito yung mga panahong  may Ah1N1 outbreak. Malamang mag-iiba ang temperature ko dahil ang panahon sa China ng November e super lamig na. Hindi na kami nakapaglibot sa Xiamen Airport dahil natagalan ang pagtingin sa akin ng mga medical officers at pinipilit na masama ang pakiramdam ko. Hanggang sumuko sila na hindi nila mapatunayan na maysakit ako. Buti na lang, pagdating ko ng Beijing tsaka natuloy ang sakit ko! One close call J

THE ITINERARY
Hindi ko maalala kung nasunod nga ba ang lahat ng nandito pero ito ang aming final itinerary bago kami umalis ng:

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Tour D3: Night Cluture Stage - "Chinese Acrobatic Show " - RMB220     

Be met by your guide and driver at your hotel in the evening- Acrobatic Show Viewing (7:10pm-8:30pm)- Drop-off service at your hotel and end today trip. 

Friday, November 27, 2009

Tour B4:  Full Day City Tour -"Extension of Beijing Historical Sites " - RMB260

• Ancient City Wall Ruins Sightseeing (40 minutes)
• Tibetan Lama Temple Sightseeing ( 1 hour)
• Confucius Temple Sightseeing (30 minutes)
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Beijing Panda Garden(30 minutes)
• Capital Museum (2 hours)
• Beijing Silk Carpet factory(30 minutes)

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Tour A1: Great Wall Day Tour- “ Majestic Badaling” - RMB160

• Ming Tombs Sightseeing (1hour)
• Lunch at Jade Art Restaurant (1hour)
• Great Wall at Badaling Sightseeing (2 hours)
• Outer-view Olympic Stadium & Silk Store(30 minutes)

Sunday, November 29, 2009

• Mass
• Lunch
• Tiananmen Square
• Forbidden City
• Summer Palace
• Shopping (night)

O diba meron pang mga presyo? Haha..

THE PLACES


Kailangan sulitin ang bawat minuto sa Beijing. Kaya naman, pagdating namin sa Beijing ng around past 5pm, nanood na kaagad kami ng Chinese Acrobatic Show! 

Ang mga nakakalokang stunts at nakakamanghang exhibitions! Grabe breathtaking talaga!

The next day temples and tours ang aming iniisa isa. Conficius Temple and the Tibetan Lama  Temple kung saan andun ang 60 feet statue ni Maitreya Buddha. Grabe! Ang tangkad pero sabi sa amin bawal kuhaan ng litrato.. kaso may nakita naman ako na nakapost online?!

Love the rickshaw! Sabi nga ng friend ko parang sa Jackie Chan film lang!

Around the city. Syempre nandyan ang tinaguriang Bird's Nest at ang sikat na Tiananmen Square. What I found amazing was the 56 columns mounted in along the roads - square. These columns represent the 56 ethnic groups in China. Bongga yan, ang sakit siguro kung madaganan ng kahit isa lang nyan..

Beijing at night. Took them in Wangfujing Street.

Pagkatapos ng napakaraming Beijing food sa Jade Art Restaurant, namangha na naman kami sa lugar na punong puno ng JADE!!!

Lahat yan, yes pati yung ship - made of jade.. JAAAAADDDDDEEEEE!

There were 3 highlights of my Beijing trip..

FIRST, the Panda Garden...

Napaiyak ako ng makita kong tumatambing ang makukulit pero nakakatakot na panda! Seryoso! CRAZZZY OVVEEERR PAAAANDDDDAAAA!!!!

Second, GREAT WALL OF CHINA!!!!

We took the easy way and rode a cable car to get to the Badaling Great Wall. Sa cable car palang naiiyak na ako!!! Nyahahaha

Ladies and Gentleman, THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA! 

Yes, kailangan ng ganung introduction

Good thing, I have my friends with me. Para kalmahin ang patalun-talon
kong puso... dahil sa sobrang saya!!!!!

At syempre hindi ako mawawalan ng eksenang LOST IN THE CITY. Bago kami makarating ng Summer Palace - nagkung anu ano na muna kami hehe...

Candied strawberries on a stick! YUM!

Makalipas ang ilang oras na pagkawala sa wakas nakarating din kami sa Summer Palace! Kaya daw Summer Palace dahil dito daw tumitira ang mga hari at reyna tuwing summer. Sobrang laki ng lugar na ito kailangan buong araw ang ilalaan dito!

One of the loveliest places I've seen

Going back to my trip's highlights.. the third one's got to be THE FOOD!

Hindi pa ako mahilig kuumuha ng picture noon kaya heto lang ang mga nakuhaan ko. I like trying out fastfoods from different countries. You can see the differences of influences sa food pa lang! My first tom yum and pho sa Beijing ko pa na-experience! Now I am so inlove with the food pa rin.

And this trip will never be possible if I didn't spend it with the two crazy heads (soon to be husband and wife). Thanks to Alvin and Leiz for taking me. Haha. Special thanks naman para kay Wendy sa pag-ampon nya sa aming tatlo. Hotels in Beijing are quite expensive and with someone like Wendy, we saved a lot for this trip!


Despite the on going dispute between China and the Philippines, I still want to go back to Beijing. Ang dami pa naming hindi napuntahan. Some says it is ok to spend 5days, for me, since I like feeling the local vibe - I want to stay and live there for a minimum of 10 days!

Pointers I need to remember when going back to Beijing:

• Check the season. Kung winter, sprin, summer or fall. Hindi katulad dito sa Pilipinas na madaling mag-adjust ng wardrobe kahit anong panahon, well sa Beijing hindi. Winter nung nagpunta kami, so balot kung balot lang kami! at dahil hindi ako handa, isang jacket lang ang dinala ko at puro sweaters. Akala ko naman pinakamalamig lang ng Baguio ang mae-experience ko, more than pala!
• Comfort rooms differ. Kahit meron ng mga "western" toilets sa Beijing, mas madalas parin na meron paring mga old school na CR.
• Bring a phrase book. Hindi ako sigurado ngayon pero nung nagpunta kami sa Beijing konti lang ang mga nakaka-encounter namin na marunong magsalita ng english. Although it is hard to speak mandarin, and different pronunciations may have different meaning, makakatulong parin ang phrase book. Believe me. Dahil naiiwan ko sa apartment ni Wendy ang phrase book ko, most of the time sign language ang ganap namin. Good thing Leiz took mandarin language courses in UP (well she is an Asian Studies Major) at naaalala pa nya kahit kaunti. Imagine when we went to a local fast food and all the words in the menu was in Mandarin! Turo-turo tuloy ang kinain namin.. turo-turo sa pictures.. nyahaha..

But I have a fourth highlight pala.. maraming beses akong napagkamalang chinese! Yes! That is true! Sabi ni Wendy, yung features ko daw e common sa mga nasa southern part ng china. Akalain mo.. papasa pala akong Chinese! O baka naman ang kanunu-nunuan ko e galing palang southern china.. Interesting..

with that.. xie xie!! este

merci merci