Beijing 08 - 12 Jan 2008

Wow.. really tired after work but have to my final packing before rush to airport for flight to Beijing...

Flight wasn't that full, 2 persons can have 3 seats.. we slept with any positions even though aircraft is small, it's just B757.. no personal audio system, sigh! I was too tired and didn't slept well because had few turbulences.

my in-flight supper

It takes about 6 hours flight to arrive Beijing.. it was 6.30am, weather in Beijing kinda cold, approx. -2 to -3 degree Celsius...

Arrival at Beijing International Airport

After claimed our baggages, we went for breakfast ! The very first 24 hours restaurant in Beijing. The food served wasn't that bad as what we've expected before our trip =)

Soon after, we went to Tienanmen Square (天安门广场) & Forbidden City (故宫)... took us 3 to 4 hours to finish these two places of interest.

Tienanmen Square


Me and my aunt


caught cha!! sleeping guard...

The Forbidden City, located at the exact center of the ancient city of Beijing, was the home and center of power for 24 emperors during the mid to latter Ming and Qing dynasties.

The extensive grounds of the Forbidden City cover 720,000 square meters (74 hectares). There are 800 buildings that have in total about 9,000 rooms. The Forbidden City is the world's largest palace complex.

Indeed, the Forbidden City is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world, and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987.

The Forbidden City is located directly to the north of Tienanmen Square and is accessible from the square via Tienanmen Gate.

Forbidden City...


forgot the hall name...

Large stone carving


where the emperor's work


Forbidden City...

After walking so much plus the cold weather, guess everyone is hungry :-P Lunch Time! Check out the hungry ghost... hehe...

before meal

after meal

After lunch, we went back hotel, check-in and rest before acrobatic show and dinner.

Acrobatic Center

at Acrobatic show

For the 2nd day, i felt more energetic as I was going to climb the great wall! Prepared myself and went for breakfast ;-)

my favorite--pumpkin porridge

We left hotel to great wall at 0730hrs, it took 02 hours journey from town to great wall.. it wasn't too bad ler, cos we slept once we got into the bus, everyone slept like a pig. Pity the tour guide, no one listen to what he said. Hahahaa.. The temperature in Great Wall more colder than town.. so have to wear more ;-) and I'm look like a dumpling...

I climbed Great wall!!!


不到长城非好汉

After visited great wall and lunch.. we went to ski resort, but i didn't ski... but enjoy playing snow with others... took pictures and all that...

It was cold...


what the.. China's English very powerful leh...


Snow flights


snow (white)


group picture


sunset at ski resort

Well, after full day trip to great wall and ski resort, we weren't tired! We went out at night again, for KFC that next to our hotel... Had a great chat with new friends and before we went off (as KFC closed at 11pm), we had ice-cream!! Can you imagine that we were eating ice-cream at the temperature of -3 degree celsius ? As we were walking back to hotel, the concierge also laugh.. "what the hell, these bunch of monkey are crazy man"...

sweating when the temperature was -3 degree celsius

Eating ice-cream

For the 3rd day, temperature is even colder now.. and it's only 0-1 degree Celsius, very cloudy & windy... we went to Summer Palace (颐和园) and Temple of Heaven (天坛).

Summer Palace is the largest imperial garden in existence in China. It is the most celebrated imperial garden in China. The garden came into existence early in the 1750s and had once been a summer resort for the emperors.

at the entrance of Summer Palace...


frozen Kunming Lake


4 sweeties pie


marble boat


weird picture 1... was it a dragon something??


weird picture 2...


weird picture 3...

After lunch, we went to Temple of Heaven, the largest existing complex of ancient sacrificial buildings. Occupying an area of 273 hectares, it is three times the area of the Forbidden City. It was built in 1420 for emperors to worship Heaven. The principle buildings include the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests, Imperial Vault of Heaven and Circular Mound Altar.

Temple of Heaven


Nice picture at Temple of Heaven

Nine-Dragon Juniper, 500 over years

Heavenly Center Stone

On the 4th day, it was free and easy day.. I went to meet my old friend--Songwen. He was my ex-collegemate and ex-housemate. He and his friend-Chenlei brought me for lunch and Wang Fu Jin (王府井). We tried the Beijing's exotic foods...

my lunch...

Songwen and me

Train route

王府井小吃街

Scorpios and Sea Horses.. dare to eat?

Silk worm...


my glass noodle

After dinner and all, Songwen was thinking to bring me to his birthday bash at his house, but i didn't go because it's too far, as my hotel located at east but his house is at west.. and it takes about 01 hour train... so sorry Songwen, and i hope you had a great time that day and we shall meet up again in few months time!

Well, it was the last day in Beijing, and it was the coldest temperature ever since we were here. It was -3 degree celsius now.

in front of hotel

Yummy..

calm river...

bird-nest as our background...

last lunch at Beijing...

Well, right after lunch we went to airport for check-in... I told my aunt to check-in themselves as I will had to check-in myself in order to seat next to my friend (hometown friend) who were same flight with me back to Malaysia.. Queued for 20 minutes then my turn to check-in. I gave my passport and told them I'm checking-in fight CA971 to Kuala Lumpur.. In return the check-in staff told me there's no name listed on this flight.. **tension already** and i asked him to check on my E-ticket number.. yeah, finally he found my name but it was listed on yesterday flight... not today on 12 Jan... and asked me to change my flight to today flight at the ticketing counter..

And i was pretty sure others face the same problem also.. and i saw the tour leader was making some phone calls, only found out that the reservation staff booked the wrong date.. instead of flying back on 12Jan, ticket was booked on 11Jan.. 33 of us.. and some of us were forced to stay one more day... and even thou we can 'squeeze-in' for this flight, but we can't check-in until the flight closed.. Our flight was at 1705hrs and we were only allowed to check-in at 1630hrs.. going crazy man and we have to run to the custom and immigration (luckily was not too many peoples) and flight... that time people were ready for boarding... And we were wasted 02 hours at the airport.. no drinking, no eating, no shopping.. no time at all!!!

us...


my in-flight meal sucks!

In-flight meals were totally sucks.. food served either lamb or duck.. what a bad combination !!! Have no choice but to eat duck.. and it smell.. **yuckie** and i vomited also during flight after meal.. and the aircraft seat weren't that comfort... it's as lousy as airasia flight...what a bad experience...