Beijing Day 2 - Exploring the vast complex of the Ming Tombs

The second day started out real early as we needed to meet our tour guide at 7am. Yes, that early! As a result, we rushed through breakfast just to get to the hotel lobby on time where we will be picked up.

We hopped on the van, along with the other folks who will be joining us, to start the long journey towards the Ming Tombs. To start off, our tour guide provided a few details about Beijing and how life goes on around here. There’s also a bit of introduction amongst the folks who are with us in the van. So, all in all, we were 8 – a Japanese couple, a solo traveler from Hong Kong, and our group.

Beijing Day 1 - Reliving the Olympic spirit at the Olympic Green

Still having plenty of daylight left, we headed on to the Olympic Green – the venue of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The vast complex is really grandeur. Spanning about 2,800 acres, the iconic structures which identify the place really stood out. Also, the wide open spaces can surely fit in thousands of patrons at any given time. A really nice place to explore!

Bird's Nest in daylight

The commute towards here is relatively easy. We just hopped on the subway, transferred a few lines, and a few minutes later got to the Olympic Sports Center station.  

Beijing Day 1 - Learning about Chinese history and heritage at the Capital Museum

We woke up a bit late to get some sleep as we took the midnight flight into China’s capital.  Luckily for us, we still got to avail of the breakfast buffet at the hotel which served a really nice combination of both Asian and Western flavors. However, as it was bird flu season during this time, we avoided all poultry dishes just to be sure.

We decided to take it easy on our first day. Right after breakfast, we explored the vicinity of the hotel to see where we can buy some necessities like drinking water. We didn’t go far to get to the nearest 24 hour local convenience store. There were lots of products to choose from so it was like a mini supermarket of sorts. Great find!

facade of Beijing's Capital Museum

Then, we headed on to the nearest subway station to get to the Capital Museum. Thinking it was just a few blocks away – judging from the map – we decided to walk. Apparently, blocks here in Beijing are really wide so after 30 minutes, we were dead tired. Giving up on the idea, we just took a cab to get to the station as it was just too much effort on foot.

Hong Kong Day 4 - Joining in prayer at the Chi Lin Nunnery

Strolling around Nan Lian Garden was such a therapeutic and relaxing experience. To add a bit more to the serene feeling, we ventured next to Chi Lin Nunnery just across the garden. You don’t even need to trouble yourself with crossing the street as there is a footbridge that connects both places. Very convenient!

temple grounds

Hong Kong Day 5 - Last minute shopping and grocery hunting at Causeway Bay

Staying at Causeway Bay has a lot of perks for those who love to shop and window shop. There’s a wide array of everything at this place – from high end fashion brands to street side markets. There’s so much to see, hear, taste, and do here that one day isn’t even enough to explore. With that, we started early as this is the last day of our stay here at the vibrant and dynamic city of Hong Kong.

Causeway Bay at night
courtesy of www.discoverhongkong.com