Beijing Weekend

My traveling companions have just returned from an exciting weekend exploring Beijing!

We departed from Tianjin on an 8pm train Thursday evening.  Our train covered a distance of 110 kilometers (about 70 miles, Mom) in a surprising time of under 30 minutes. Our group of twelve was split into two groups: six who had chosen to stay in a hotel and six who had opted for a youth hostel.  Longing for a Marriott mattress, I had decided on the hotel.  Walking through the doors of the Marriott: Beijing City Wall, we realized that we were in for quite a luxurious weekend.  We dined like royalty with complimentary drinks at check-in and a full-service western breakfast every morning.  These were perhaps the happiest breakfasts in my existence thus far;  I gorged myself on "delicacies" that I have missed during my time in the East: cereal (with COLD, PASTEURIZED, SKIM milk), bacon, hash browns, fresh fruit and yogurt.  The list could go on.  Fortunate to be traveling with the daughter of a Marriott employee, we stayed at this Chinese five-star hotel for a ridiculously cheap price.  Needless to say, Marriott lost money on me with the complimentary breakfasts alone.

On Friday, we toured Tienanmen Square, viewed Chairman Mao's body on display, and wandered through the Forbidden City.  It was extremely hot, but the sights and culture witnessed made the discomfort well worth it!  After a dip in the pool, we shopped through some of Beijing's markets and feasted upon Peking Duck, which, I am told, is a necessary experience for any traveler in Beijing.  After dinner, we headed over to the Olympic Park area for a stroll.  Saturday consisted of winding our way through the grounds and sights of the beautiful Summer Palace.  It was another toasty day, and a fierce thunderstorm drove us back home in the late afternoon.  The group dined at a-- get this-- Mexican restaurant that evening.  Steak fajitas and a cold margarita hit the spot!  Finally, this morning, the hotel group and I ventured over to the famous Silk Market!  I had an absolute blast wheeling and dealing with the merchants.  We were unfortunately limited by time and left prematurely to catch the 2pm train back to Tianjin.

This upcoming weekend I am heading back to Beijing on Friday morning.  On tap for Friday: touring inside the Water Cube and the Bird's Nest and giving the Silk Market the proper time that it deserves (and for me to get a more complete shopping fix).  Friday night a group of us are taking an overnight train to Xi'an to see the Terracotta Army!! We will return on a similar train Saturday evening and will arrive in Tianjin mid-Sunday.

Thanks for reading, everyone!  It's wild to think that I only have one more full week in Tianjin; the group heads to Shanghai on the 20th.  Time is flying, but I am thankful to say that I am getting to do/see more than I could have ever imagined when I signed up for this trip!