Week 6 in China

So this week's post is about what I learned during my weekend trip in Beijing and some of the details of my trip like where I stayed and and how I got there. So, here goes.

What I Learned

Mini So is a great store.

So I first saw this store in Shanghai but I went in and shopped at Mini So during our Beijing Trip, which you’ll r as about next week, for the first time. It’s like a convenience store or a drug store. It has a little bit of everything that you can use in your everyday life. Electronics and makeup, water bottles and socks. Just a great place o shop if you forgot to pack something while traveling. The prices are very reasonable and all the products are good quality.

Bring snacks with you.

You probably already know this but A friendly reminder never hurts. You do a lot of walking when you’re sightseeing and that makes you tired and hangry. For your sake, as well as everyone else’s, bring snacks so you don’t have to over-pay for food while you’re out and about.

Chinese maps are very had to read.

I noticed this in Shanghai when we went to the wild animal park and the museum as well as every time we’ve look at a map in the metro stop or at a park but the map of the summer palace sealed the deal. It was translated into English but didn’t work like a normal map. It didn’t make any sense no matter where we were or which direction we were facing; nothing was where it was supposed to be according to the map.

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The people here like different snacks.

Now, I’m not talking about the bugs on a stick or sugar covered potatoes, although you can find those to. I’m just talking about their idea of snacks, it’s different from what I’m used to, namely meat, corn, and sweet potatoes. No matter the medium, no matter how it is cooked, these are common street foods and snacks that you would find everywhere. The Chinese sure do love their meat.

Picking your nose is not considered gross. I know. This is the moment you have all been waiting for. A chance to pick those nostrils in front of other people and not be considered disgusting. Well, your moment had arrived. The people here just don’t get hung up on that stuff. They spit on the street, cough without covering their mouths, and pick their noses in public. It’s just what they do.

The ridges on the road actually have a purpose.

So, wherever you go in China, on the sidewalk you will find these ridges and the j the really annoying because they hurt your feet and they’re just not fun. So I was complaint about them and I saw this video on the metro and I found out why they are everywhere. They’re markers for the seeing impaired. They help blind people stay on the sidewalk, which is really important here where traffic is crazy. Needless to say I have I’ll never complain about them again...at least not out loud.

I’ve finally learned the Chinese finger-number system.

So, you might have noticed this if you’ve traveled other places, but in different areas of the world you hold up different fingers to show/suggest numbers. I’ve finally gotten this system down and I’m using it every day. Here’s what it looks like. The first five are pretty standard but after that it gets a little funky. And there are a couple different ways you can show seven and ten and the different varieties of seven are r ally close to other numbers like eight and nine but these are the basics and what I have used.

Quick Reference

Travel

We couldn’t take the metro to get to the train station this time because our train left at 6:51 am. We wanted to be there at 6:00 am and the metro didn’t run early enough to get us there on time. So, we called a cab using DiDi. They have an English version which makes it easier since none of the cab driver speak English.

Took a four-hour train ride from Nanjing to Beijing. Took another four-hour train ride back, but this time we could take the metro home because it was still running, though just barely.

Accommodations

We booked it. I thought we had read the reviews. I though that everything was fine. We paid in full and didn’t read the fine print that said no refunds or cancellations. Our bad. We booked a room a couple weeks before our vacation through Ctrip. The reviews were fine. The location was great. And I though, ‘If it’s bad, oh well, I can sleep anywhere for a few days.’ No, we stared reading reviews on other sites and we didn’t like what we saw: cockroaches, prostitutes, mold, sewage smells, no WiFi, rooms in the basement. Great location, good price, but we couldn’t handle those conditions for a whole week.

So we booked at Holiday Inn. It was father out of the city but it had great reviews (wherever you looked), WiFi, a staff that spoke English, pool, and this time everyone was getting there own bed. So we ought a second room for the week and got our money back for the first room. My complaints for Holiday Inn include: no free drinkable water, the pool rules, the location, and the shower window. I don't know why but they wouldn't let us use the towels and take them to our room, which was not fun to walk pack to our room cold and wet. They also made you were swim caps at the pool and only had two to rent, although you could buy one if you wanted. The hotel was also pretty far-removed form everything we wanted to see, so it was at least half an hour ride to get anywhere really interesting. The last thing was the shower set up. It was just awkward because the wall of the shower was shared with the room itself and it was all glass, there was a screen but it was on on the outside so anyone could have drawn it up and taken a peak. Really weird.

But other than that the hotel was great. The beds were soft, the view was amazing, and it was so nice to stay somewhere so nice for the entire week.

Food

7-Eleven for yogurt and pastries to eat the next morning and ramen for the evenings. Korean BBQ in the mall. Dumplings in the park. Egg-waffle ice-cream from the Focus Square Mall. Pizza Hut and Taro ice-cream from McDonalds. Jinbaiwan Roast Duck. Hutong street food: Lamb kabobs, spiral potatoes on a stick, and churro ice-cream.

Activities

The Summer Palace, Haggling at the Pearl Market, Bei Hai Park, the Winter Palace, Wanfujing Street, The Forbidden City, Hutong Street Market, pecking Duck, the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, Night Market, and Camping on the Great Wall.

Tune in next week to get all the juicy details about my week long trip to China's capital city.

Happy Travels,

Challis Hackley