Denver to Beijing
As we had an early flight from Denver, we did our usual and found an airport hotel for the night before our travel day. On Tower Road near DEN, there are several Wyndham properties and we usually stay at the least expensive. This time the Microtel won.
We were up at 0330 and soon off to The Parking Spot. Parked the Jeep and, as usual, there was not a wait and we were on our way to the terminal. The other travelers on the shuttle were all bound for the warmer climates of Hawaii and Florida. The two guys going to Hawaii were appreciative of the local places we recommended. Florida folks were headed for cruises.
We checked our bags and headed to the UAL club room for some porridge. Soon we boarded our flight to San Francisco (SFO) and arrived a few minutes late. That prompted the “Airport Sprint” from one terminal to another, only to arrive as our flight to Beijing (PEK) was boarding.
On this flight we are experiencing the Premium Plus Class level of service. Not business and not Economy Plus, this includes roomier seats, drinks, and better meals and snacks than Economy. I thought the seats would just be old recycled 1st class seats, but they are not. They have recline and leg rest options, as well as the seats are wider. Nice pillow and blanket as well as an amenity kit are included. I had used miles to upgrade to this cabin. We were supposed to travel in this class on our last trip to Beijing but got a further upgrade. I am happy with this level of service and may use it again when available.
We arrived in Beijing at 1530 and proceeded to passport control. Here we did not do well, with people in front of us having issues of some sorts. The line was at times diverted to a faster queue but we several times did not make the diverted cut. Oh well. At 1630 we retrieved our bags and were met by our driver. In the past we have used the Metro to get to our hotel and it is a good cheap option, but not fun at rush hour and toting bags. The other option is a Taxi, the lines can be a tad crazy and confusing at times but for a few dollars more, a private car is a good option, especially when arriving tired.
The drive usually takes about one hour but with traffic, it was a bit over 1.5 hours. We checked into our hotel, the Novotel Beijing Peace and dropped our bags and went out for some street food.
Here is the jianbing place er enjoyed, they always had a line, and their steam buns were very good.
We found a street stall open serving jianbing. This is a common street food in China. It is easily accessible around street corners, outside of subway stations and tourist attractions. Though the types of Jianbing vary by city, the main ingredients are generally the same. The dough is made of wheat and grain flour and fried on a griddle with egg as the base. Meanwhile, the center is filled with scallions, lettuce, cilantro, rich chili sauce and a crunchy thin waffle (that is the best way we can describe it). This made a great meal and cost was $1 US or 8 Yuan. Bummer, they were sold out of steam buns, maybe tomorrow.
There was a Mother and son in line before us and mother encouraged her son to ask us where we were from. We told them the United States and Wyoming, which was met with a look of unknowing. We get that a lot as many folks around the world as well as the US, don’t know where Wyoming is.
Sadly, I was so tired I did not have a camera with me nor even the cell phone, so will get pictures tomorrow. I think mom got a couple pictures of us. Seems a beard is somewhat unique here in China, this has happened before. Maybe, they do not expect westerners to be out eating out-of-the-way street food.
We did stop and buy a gallon jug of water for 12 yuan, about $1.50 on the way back to the room.
Back to the room to get organized and decide on tomorrows activities.
As we had an early flight from Denver, we did our usual and found an airport hotel for the night before our travel day. On Tower Road near DEN, there are several Wyndham properties and we usually stay at the least expensive. This time the Microtel won.
We were up at 0330 and soon off to The Parking Spot. Parked the Jeep and, as usual, there was not a wait and we were on our way to the terminal. The other travelers on the shuttle were all bound for the warmer climates of Hawaii and Florida. The two guys going to Hawaii were appreciative of the local places we recommended. Florida folks were headed for cruises.
We checked our bags and headed to the UAL club room for some porridge. Soon we boarded our flight to San Francisco (SFO) and arrived a few minutes late. That prompted the “Airport Sprint” from one terminal to another, only to arrive as our flight to Beijing (PEK) was boarding.
On this flight we are experiencing the Premium Plus Class level of service. Not business and not Economy Plus, this includes roomier seats, drinks, and better meals and snacks than Economy. I thought the seats would just be old recycled 1st class seats, but they are not. They have recline and leg rest options, as well as the seats are wider. Nice pillow and blanket as well as an amenity kit are included. I had used miles to upgrade to this cabin. We were supposed to travel in this class on our last trip to Beijing but got a further upgrade. I am happy with this level of service and may use it again when available.
We arrived in Beijing at 1530 and proceeded to passport control. Here we did not do well, with people in front of us having issues of some sorts. The line was at times diverted to a faster queue but we several times did not make the diverted cut. Oh well. At 1630 we retrieved our bags and were met by our driver. In the past we have used the Metro to get to our hotel and it is a good cheap option, but not fun at rush hour and toting bags. The other option is a Taxi, the lines can be a tad crazy and confusing at times but for a few dollars more, a private car is a good option, especially when arriving tired.
The drive usually takes about one hour but with traffic, it was a bit over 1.5 hours. We checked into our hotel, the Novotel Beijing Peace and dropped our bags and went out for some street food.
A nice corner room
Below is the photo of the Xitangzai Houtong behind the hotel
We found a street stall open serving jianbing. This is a common street food in China. It is easily accessible around street corners, outside of subway stations and tourist attractions. Though the types of Jianbing vary by city, the main ingredients are generally the same. The dough is made of wheat and grain flour and fried on a griddle with egg as the base. Meanwhile, the center is filled with scallions, lettuce, cilantro, rich chili sauce and a crunchy thin waffle (that is the best way we can describe it). This made a great meal and cost was $1 US or 8 Yuan. Bummer, they were sold out of steam buns, maybe tomorrow.
There was a Mother and son in line before us and mother encouraged her son to ask us where we were from. We told them the United States and Wyoming, which was met with a look of unknowing. We get that a lot as many folks around the world as well as the US, don’t know where Wyoming is.
Sadly, I was so tired I did not have a camera with me nor even the cell phone, so will get pictures tomorrow. I think mom got a couple pictures of us. Seems a beard is somewhat unique here in China, this has happened before. Maybe, they do not expect westerners to be out eating out-of-the-way street food.
We did stop and buy a gallon jug of water for 12 yuan, about $1.50 on the way back to the room.
Back to the room to get organized and decide on tomorrows activities.
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