Beijing to Harbin
Our original plan was to take a high speed train from Beijing to Harbin. I have an Australian who can book rail travel in China and he suggested we fly as obtaining train tickets can be unsure as they can only be booked 30 days out. Yes, flights cost more but they are assured.
We were up at 0400 having coffee and catching up with the world. We got repacked and have two bags to stay here in Beijing as domestic flights in China are rather restricted with carry on.
Down to breakfast and the waffle and Crepe chef was there making some nice fresh waffles and crepes. After breakfast we finished packing up and decided to head to the airport.
We stored our bags and requested a cab. Our cab driver was speedy and made the 1 hour trip in 40 minutes. It was nice he dropped us off right at the departure doors. Some cab drivers will drop you at the lower parking level.
We located the Air China counters and did the self check in and then dropped our bags. For some, this can be intimidating due to the hustle and bustle of the busy terminal.
Security is always interesting as one never knows what to expect. This time it was all cameras, chargers, batteries, laptop and chargers out, basically, just emptied my backpack. It is always different every time, so one never knows.
After repacking, we made our way to the Air China First Class lounge to wait for a gate assignment. I must say this is a rather nice lounge with nice offerings.
The boarding process for Air China can best be described as organized chaos. For those of you who have been to Walt Disney World and Muppets 4D, think Sam the Eagle telling the cast to enter in an orderly fashion.
Our original plan was to take a high speed train from Beijing to Harbin. I have an Australian who can book rail travel in China and he suggested we fly as obtaining train tickets can be unsure as they can only be booked 30 days out. Yes, flights cost more but they are assured.
We were up at 0400 having coffee and catching up with the world. We got repacked and have two bags to stay here in Beijing as domestic flights in China are rather restricted with carry on.
Down to breakfast and the waffle and Crepe chef was there making some nice fresh waffles and crepes. After breakfast we finished packing up and decided to head to the airport.
We stored our bags and requested a cab. Our cab driver was speedy and made the 1 hour trip in 40 minutes. It was nice he dropped us off right at the departure doors. Some cab drivers will drop you at the lower parking level.
We located the Air China counters and did the self check in and then dropped our bags. For some, this can be intimidating due to the hustle and bustle of the busy terminal.
Security is always interesting as one never knows what to expect. This time it was all cameras, chargers, batteries, laptop and chargers out, basically, just emptied my backpack. It is always different every time, so one never knows.
After repacking, we made our way to the Air China First Class lounge to wait for a gate assignment. I must say this is a rather nice lounge with nice offerings.
The boarding process for Air China can best be described as organized chaos. For those of you who have been to Walt Disney World and Muppets 4D, think Sam the Eagle telling the cast to enter in an orderly fashion.
The flight was about 1.5 hours and they served a box lunch which included a bologna like sandwich, some pickled vegetables and an egg.
The Pilot made a great landing and it does look cold outside. We made our way to baggage claim and waited about an hour for the bags to start to appear. It was pretty kewl in that there is a TV monitor showing the ramp agents unloading the bags to the conveyor.
Seeing this was taking some time, Lynn went to find our driver as I waited for the bags. They finally arrived and soon we were off towards the city. This was about an hour drive and the traffic was not bad until we got into the city.
best I could do with the phone
Our digs for the next 4 nights
We are staying at the Shangri-La Hotel Harbin. I had made this reservation 11 months ago, as at that time availability was getting low. The rates for hotels in the area go up during the Snow and Ice Festival. Our rate here is about $200 a night (with breakfast), this was about the only room I could find when we booked.
When we checked in, we received several vouchers for drinks and meal discounts here at the property. The desk clerk also told us the Mini Bar was included with our rate. All in all, the place is nice and the location is close to the festivities.
Here are some photos of our room.
We dropped our bags and went for a short walkabout to find some additional water for the room. Yes the provided water will be replaced, but we like to have plenty available.
Temp outside is -4F and the next few days is currently forecast for mid teens.
Back into the room and the room safe is not working so it only took five maintenance guys to get it working. Time for some laundry and maybe just a cup of soup for dinner this evening.
We need to get our gear and clothes together for tomorrow.
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