China Travel Guide 3

[akthung]

mahangin kasi sa great wall. pero depende talaga sa tao at panahon one time napaka init sa great wall kahit malamig ang forecast. hindi kasi mahangin that day and the skies were clear. pasok na pasok ang rays ng sun.

[cheskacutie]

^ Thanks sis Akthung!

Iba iba pala. By the way mga sis, DIY  ba kayo sa great wall and yun forbidden city temple of heaven drum tower and tiananmen square magkakalapit ba? Plan kasi namin ni hubby diy kami for these places but for great wall and summer palace, bird's nest and olympic mag tour guide kami. Tama ba?


From the airport is it easy to go to Dongzhimen?
Dun kami naka check in ng hotel.

Thank you!Hope to get a reply.

[mama squeak!]

We're in Beijing now. Before we left Manila the forecast temperature at night was -2 but when we arrived it was only 5C. Tolerable naman since hindi mahangin. Then yesterday it was 9C and clear. Medyo malamig initially but since lakad-lakad kami we warmed up a bit. We even had to get rid of our scarves.

Not sure lang how it will be when you go to the Great Wall but sa city carry na ang sweater with a light coat. Bring a scarf and hat in case na rin. All my travels are DIY. You can check my blog for my posts on my previous Beijing trips. For this trip puro Hutong walk ang ginawa namin ni hubby.

Easy lang to get to Dongzhimen from the airport. Depends on the time of your arrival you can take the subway all the way.

 

[cheskacutie]

^ thanks sis mama squeak!

We'll be in Beijing at 11:20AM . Where do we buy tickets for the subway in the airport? DIY tour for me and hubby. Still thinking of the guided tour for Great Wall and other sites.

Hopeful, okay DIY cos in Seoul DIY tour lang.hihi!

I will check your blog. Thank you for your reply! Appreciate it!

[mama squeak!]

^yup, just follow the signs at the arrival area for the airport express. Dongzhimen is the terminal stop for the airport express.

Enjoy your trip! 

[cheskacutie]

^ Got it sis mama squeak!

Thanks

[akthung]

^ Thanks sis Akthung!

Iba iba pala. By the way mga sis, DIY  ba kayo sa great wall and yun forbidden city temple of heaven drum tower and tiananmen square magkakalapit ba? Plan kasi namin ni hubby diy kami for these places but for great wall and summer palace, bird's nest and olympic mag tour guide kami. Tama ba?


From the airport is it easy to go to Dongzhimen?
Dun kami naka check in ng hotel.

Thank you!Hope to get a reply.

madali lang mga yan sis. Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square ay magkatapat lang. isang tawid lang. at the back of Forbidden City is Jinsong Park. you can climb to the highest point and see the whole forbidden city.

Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Bird's Nest/Olympic Village, Forbidden City/Tiananmen Square are all reachable by Train. even Badaling side of the Great Wall is reachable by Train. 800m walk lang. Drum/Bell Tower at the Gulou area medyo may 10 minute walk from the Gulou station. but its a good area, dahil may mga vintage shops, stores, skiing (if the lake is still frozen) else boating...and bars, live bands at night.

yan ang kagandahan ng Beijing Train system. kung eto magaya ng pinas, napaka dali umikot sana ng metro manila or even places outside manila.

just study the train lines sis. 2 RMB lang naman per one way trip per person. better if you can score a train pass. kasi yung ticket na mabibili mo sa train station para lang dun sa train station na yun.

From central Beijing to Gulou area, Taxi can cost about 40-60 RMB depende sa traffic at kung saan ka talaga. but i enjoy walking from Gulou Station to Drum and Bell Tower area. nagpeperform sila ng drums so you may want to time your arrival dun sa time ng performance nila.

joke namin magfrefriends -- Beijing is a Tourist City.

you'll save a lot if you bargain hard and with DIY tours.

as for bargaining, just leave if you don't like the price. if the price is too low for them, they won't run after you, but then alam mo na. then find another seller na lang. generally for a lot of stuff -- same stuff different markets.

google for The Beijinger and sift through the directory for anything you like, who knows may makita kang like mo.

[eischied_21]

I'll be back in Beijing for the second time. Last time na punta ko sa Mutianyu Great Wall ako pumunta and this time try ko sa Badaling Great Wall para maiba naman. Pwede ba malaman which train station ang baba pag pupunta ka sa Badaling? Thanks

[akthung]

http://www.tour-beijing.com/blog/beijing-travel/how-to-visit-great-wall-by-train-visit-badaling-great-wall-by-train/

[eischied_21]

^ thanks sa link.

[ice_pink]

^yep, around 3 hrs travel time via the G trains. Just take the tourist bus (going to west lake) once you get to hangzhou station, rmb1 lang but crowded hehe.

[cheskacutie]

^^thanks sis akthung! Super helpful! I will take note of your tips😊.
My hubby is very good with maps hihi!

Again thanks for the reply really appreciate it!😊

[akthung]

welcome. ako gamit na gamit ko compass ko. direction lang naman ang kailangan, nothing complicated.

sometimes din everything looks the same when u get out of say the train station.

[mama squeak!]

^Very true about the compass! Laking tulong talaga. As soon as we get out of the subway and we're on street level we just whip it out and follow the arrow.

Naku bro, I didn't buy my silk there na. Cheaper pa if I buy from my suki online store in the states. Sure pa ako na totoo. Hubby and I enjoyed all our hutong walks though. Hoping for another trip there soon.

 

[akthung]

^Very true about the compass! Laking tulong talaga. As soon as we get out of the subway and we're on street level we just whip it out and follow the arrow.

Naku bro, I didn't buy my silk there na. Cheaper pa if I buy from my suki online store in the states. Sure pa ako na totoo. Hubby and I enjoyed all our hutong walks though. Hoping for another trip there soon.

 

yep. iba talaga din yung na feng shui ang city. lol

yeah, kaya i never buy stuff sa markets unless it's really unique. else they can be found anywhere.
silks, pashmina etc...dubious sa markets. most of the stuffs naman sa markets meron din sa Pinas eh. lol mas mura pa nga Pirated dvds.

for a good item, better sa mamahaling mall or from someone you know.

actually may duda din ako sa ibang original items made for the China market. I think they ship out the best quality. kaya kahit original for me i think mahina yung natitinda sa China.

[theflygirl]

Leaving for Beijing in a few hours.

I hope I'm in the correct forum. I'd just like to share my visa application experience last Mar. 12.

Instead of letting my hubby's company's LO submit my application as I previously planned, I opted to DIY. I got to the embassy at around 845am and I was already number 55. My number was called after more or less, an hour. I had with me more docus than I really needed but what I submitted were the ff: passport, applic form w passport photo, PHP bank cert with at least 100k adb for 6mos, passbook photocopy (in lieu of a bank statement), hubby's COE/guarantee letter for me, his flight schedule (which after the visa officer read and smiled, handed back to me, haha), airline ticket and hotel reservation.

I was mildly surprised that they also got my prev passport (which I submitted, too, because my valid US visa was there). My current passport didn't look too good as it was completely empty of stamps since I recently renewed it.

I ticked the express service and picked up my visaed passports the following day. No sweat.

Now, to escape the MNL heat for a few days!...

[cheskacutie]

^^ thanks to sis akthung and mama squeak for all the tips! Grabe pala dun noh? Kapagod! Puro lakad. We also used the compass and of course map!

Love Quanjude Roast Duck! Hihi! Mejo nagulat lang talaga ako sa mga chinese dun kasi tulak talaga and spitting spree. Plus the public toilets, ayun na! Haha! Traffic same as Manila during rush hour! Haha!

It rained and snowed when we arrived but the following day it was sunny however the temperature was really cold!
We did not shop cos the prices are high too and we can see some of the items in Manila as well. We rode the Airport Express Train going to the airport it was fast and hassle free

It was a great trip! Fun and tiring! Thanks again! Hug!:)

[akthung]

ang taxi nga parang manila din -- nangongontrata during important times of the day.

kapag sobrang lamig ng gabi, mangongontrata din yan, lalo at the early hours of the morning. dahil alam nila na pag hindi ka nakasakay, mangangatog ka.

meron masarap na roast duck doon isang corner malapit sa Tuanjiehu Station. i forgot the name pero masarap dun.

maraming magagandang bars and resto sa Sanlitun, what i love best are the "around the corner" kainans. sobrang sarap kesa sa mga restos kasi some restos eh parang magsisisi ka kaagad at the first few bites. masmaganda lang yung presentation ng resto nila.

the "around the corner" ones eh parang, eww ang itsura at CR. lol pero super sarap.

speaking of CR, well ----- "horror theme"

matitinong CR lang eh sa magagandang hotels at sa magagandang office buildings.

may napansin ba kayo sa Beijing? ang daming sex shops. kaliwat kanan. kahit sa isang street, marami kang makikita. lol so much for a communist country. =P

^^ thanks to sis akthung and mama squeak for all the tips! Grabe pala dun noh? Kapagod! Puro lakad. We also used the compass and of course map!

kaya nga halos walang mataba di ba? yung medyo chubby eh yakang yaka nila weight nila.

We did not shop cos the prices are high too and we can see some of the items in Manila as well. We rode the Airport Express Train going to the airport it was fast and hassle free

a lot of the stuff there can be found in Manila. as for prices, yan ang malaking myth that i keep on telling people: porket china, mura. Buzzzz! wrong answer! mahal pa nga!

I think sinadya yan. kasi kung mura ang China, the average person can sell stuff online and deliver the goods in creative ways. maraming economiya ang maaapektuhan.

but i have my doubts too. parang mas matibay ang for export nila.

***

ano sis, kumain ka ba ng Scorpion? hehe



***

to those who forsee themselves going to Beijing on Jan-Feb next  year,

go to Harbin!!! the Ice Festival is awesome! your kids will love it.

[vain_kixie]

 Agree!! The Ice festival in  Harbin is a fabulous experience talaga.

[cheskacutie]

^^ Hi sis akthung! Hahaha! Yes que horror ang restroom! 

Naku di ako kumain ng scorpion katakot lang! Took photos lang...
Yep, people think cheap prices for the clothes but it's not! Kaya we just opted to eat and see the sights there. I agree walang mataba kasi naman ang subway ang taas din ng stairs haha! Fat burning talaga! 

Kainis din ibang taxi drivers kasi sasakay ka nila tapos baba ka sa di mo destination! Grrr! Buti nalang may map and easy naman mag subway.

About the sex shops yup ang dami. Sa may Sanlitun area hehe. Pero ok sa Sanlitun area lapit kmi dun naka check in eh:))