Huahang Hotel Beijing

Today was really fun!

It's Sunday today...so it was a bit more casual than most days we've had here. We need that. We are all really tired. Tonight, we are going to have an early lights out.

But more about today...

First...we slept in. Yay! Breakfast was at 9am. Then, we had a Sunday morning gathering. It was really special. We ...

... he went on: "Would you like to have a beer this evening?" He was obviously looking for a company. He had arrived in China by himself, same as me, and according to what he said his girl was currently in Macao. I didn't know if she was a Chinese or a westerner, and I didn't ask. He was returning to Macao from Beijing in a day or two and until then he sought to not be on his own if possible. "I'd be glad to," I had to say again. "But soon I've got an appointment with another friend." "If ...

... garlic breath, incomprehensibly thick accents and all. But now for te Olympics, there was ALWAYS something to talk about. And they really must have just been in the spirit to be helpful. The conversations always started with the Olympics - finding out the Chinese transliterations of their favorite basketball players, discussing who would come out on top in medals, etc. But it always led to so many other things. The propr way to ask directions and not get ripped ...

... live and gracious old estates once owned by the capital's aristocracy. You will enjoy lunch with a local family and an afternoon of shopping at the Silk Alley and Rainbow Market. Overnight at the Dongjiaominxiang Hotel, Beijing (B,L,D). July 30 (Wednesday): DUN HUANG Transfer to the Beijing airport for your flight to Dunhuang (Gansu Province) in western China. Upon arrival you will be met and taken on a tour of ...

... of us, we got accosted by two people wanting photo's with us and then the rest just took photo's of us without our permission - like the paparazzi. It's taken a few days for us to get used to the starring, but you've got to take the rough with the smooth when you're famous so we're dealing with it. That night Simone and I went to an Acrobatics show which was amazing, quite scary to watch but very impressive. It was amusing as ...

... Ho Chi Minh lying in state (unfortunately our guides would not let us visit Kim Il Sung - maybe next time!). The queue was large but unlike its Hanoi equivalent, it was not very orderly and seemed to move quicker. There is a statue of a seated Mao inside the entrance, which you walk round before filing past the man himself in a chamber behind the statue. We have heard that sometimes a wax model is used in his place and we honestly couldn't ...

... na Zdi jsme asi 4h. Lidí je tu přiměřeně a zádní otravní prodejci. Zpátky do údolí volíme fajnovou jízdu 1.5km dlouhou bobovou dráhou za cca 40Y. Dole uz na (konkrétně) nás čeká jiný taxikář, kterého zlanařil ten předchozí. Pomůze nám dohodnout nizsí cenu za nákup susených plodů u stánků, a tak ho uz nemůzeme odmítnout a bere nás opět za 20Y do Huairou na bus. Vzhledem k tomu, ze i luxusní auta se na silnicích p ...

... berhippe tent, ingericht en gestyled door de wereldberoemde designer Philip Starck. Ik had natuurlijk weer eens verkeerd op de té uitgebreide menukaart gekeken en had een superpittig gerecht uitgekozen waarbij de vlammen mijn neusgaten uitsloegen. De bediende merkte dit op door mijn gesnotter en bracht al lachend een glas met bluswater. Één voor één kwamen een aantal bedienden eens kijken hoe ik zat te worstelen met het pittige gerecht en lachte eens vriendelijk. Daarna hebben we ...

amai,amai, ik ben nog aan t bekomen van de Korean grill waar we net zijn gaan eten.. lang geleden dat ik me nog zo te pletter heb gevreten.. waar ge trouwens drie soorten hondevlees kon bestellen (o.a. KOUD hondenvlees), wat we dan ook wijselijk NIET hebben gedaan. Beijing valt echt heel goed mee, vergeet al de vooroordelen over xenofobe en zogezegd vuile chinezen, ze hebben hier zeker niet minder manieren dan mijzelf..en ook al verstaan ze niks van wat ge zegt, er is ...

... I think it's Sunday but I'm not counting) and the views are terrific. I stop for gas in Olsztyn and after filling up my tank I push my bike out of the way to a corner so it won"t be in anyones way. When I come out, there are 2 taxi drivers examining my bike opretty closely. It turns out one of them backed into my bike! But there is no damage thankfully so no harm done and I'm back on my way. I see another car ram into the steel rail that protects the gas pumps, so I make ...