Today, or really yesterday, we flew to Beijing. We managed an upgrade so were super comfortable. Or at least as much as you can be for a 11 hour + flight. Fold flat seat pods are so amazing.
Clearing customs was easy. In fact easier than the US by far! We were met by our guide and driver of the day and were driven to our hotel in the Hutong part of the city. Beijing on first impressions is pretty clean, if a little smogged up. No real litter or junk piled around. The buildings are a mix of brand new and older. Drivers while not obeying any signage or road markers are polite and don’t use the horn as in other countries we’ve been in (think Egypt and India). So far everyone we’ve come into contact with speaks near flawless if accented English.
Really funky/traditional accomodations.
Our bed:
And the couretyard just outside our door.
And in our fridge are some local beverages.
Great Wall Wine and Coke (of course)
Dinner was in the hotel’s restaurant/bar area. There was some sort of dance show going on for a group so it was a bit unususal to say the least. The food was really tasty though. Portions were huge which was a bit unexptected.
This was our table at dinner:
Tomorrow we have a free day and plan to wander around the neighbourhood and explore a bit.