Booking flights on points doesn't always get you on the most direct route, so we will be stopping in Beijing, China first. The original plan was for a couple hour layover in Beijing but that flight time got changed on us and so we needed to make alternate plans. Thankfully we were able to get on that same flight a day earlier and now we had a 24 hour layover in Beijing instead. True to his researching form, Z figured out that Beijing was one of the major cities in China that allowed travellers entry without a visa if they are transiting within 72 hours. Score....no need to apply for a visa!!!
This is my first time to China and with 24 hours don't have a huge amount of time to explore, but we've got a couple things planned. First, our flight from YVR to PEK to my surprise took us north over Alaska, Russia, crossing the International Date Line at some point before making its way down to China. I thought we'd fly straight across the Pacific but what do I know? Our flight left promptly on time at 12:25pm. The only draw back with leaving at this time is that my body clock was programmed for daytime and so trying to sleep on the flight proved extremely difficult even after taking a sleeping pill. Having booked business class with our points, the 11 hour flight was actually quite comfortable.
Our approach into Beijing took us over a vast area of farmland on the outskirts of the city. Nestled in between the farms were numerous apartment buildings. In the horizon you could see the city's countless skyscrapers clouded by a layer of smog. There were many towering cranes amongst the buildings, a sign that the city is still growing. As we descended and these skyscrapers came closer into view it was evident that many of these buildings were in fact empty. A sign of overbuilding perhaps. It struck me that the densification of places back home have nothing on the densification here in China which is par for the course. With 20 million people residing in Beijing and the outskirts going up is the only way that makes sense.
Once again, Z having done his research, steered us towards the 72-hour transit entry line bypassing the extremely lengthy immigration line up. We walked right up to the officer and were through in about 2 minutes. All that was required were our passports, entry documents and proof of our flight out of China. This saved us probably a good 45 minute wait.
After collecting our luggage we found the taxi stand and were off into the traffic chaos of Beijing. Our taxi driver ended up driving down the shoulder of the freeway bypassing the gridlock traffic for quite some time. The whole time we thought he was doing this because we would be taking the next exit, but no....ended up he just wanted to get further ahead in traffic. Seems like this is a normal practice as other cars did the same and then forced their way into the gridlock when needed. Despite some nerve racking driving we made it to our hotel in one piece.
We booked this hotel on points as well and it ended up being a steal of a deal. We stayed at the Marriott Beijing Northeast, slightly outside the main core of the city. We ended up getting a rather sweet upgrade into an executive suite. The suite was one of the nicest well appointed rooms I've ever stayed in. As you entered the suite you were in the spacious living room which included a work station area with floor to ceiling windows behind. Immediately to the left of the entrance was a dining table....from there you walked down the hallway and behind what appeared to be a closet was a hidden bar area. Further down the hall was a half bathroom and at the end was the master bedroom with the biggest ensuite I've ever seen in a hotel room. Again floor to ceiling windows in both the master bath and bedroom. The views were quite spectacular. Too bad we were only here for 1 night. We received a complimentary basket of fruit too which was a nice added touch. The hotel staff were all about the guest experience. Everyone we encountered was very friendly and helpful. This isn't the first time when travelling through/to Asia where we experienced exceptional customer service. There is certainly something to be learned here.
After selling into our room and grabbing a quick bite to eat we decided to make our way to the metro station and head to Tianamen Square. Again the hotel front desk clerks were more than helpful in giving us directions to the metro. We decided to walk and it took us about 15 minutes. The metro cost 2 Yuan RMB for a single journey ticket, so total 4 for both us which is the equivalent of 74 cents CAD. The metros can get extremely packed but thankfully we were travelling off peak times and so it wasn't too bad. It was still more crowded than I'm accustomed to. About a half hour and 2 trains later we emerged for the metro and walked towards Tianamen Square. It was very cold, similar to the temperature back home; the same cold this trip was providing an escape for. It was already dark when we got there and access to the interior of the square was already closed. So after passing through the security checkpoint we emerged from the underground passage way and took in the exterior of the square and all the bright lights set up at night. It was an impressive sight; too bad we couldn't get inside - perhaps someday we'll return and plan to head here during the day. Because it was evening, the temperature was dropping quickly and we didn't exactly pack that many warm clothes because this trip was actually providing us with an escape from the cold so we walked around a little and then decided to head back to the hotel. I'd say the cold played a part in our short visit, but the jet lag was also setting in very quickly for both of us and at that point all I wanted to do was crawl into bed.
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