Beijing / Xi'an 2008: Day 1 - Beijing Sightseeing (11/2)

As most of you know, I am no longer employed at alivenotdead.com.  What this means for my blog is, I will actually have enough free time to post up some blogs and let folks know what I'm up to.

As I had about 2 weeks between my last day at alivenotdead and the time I had to leave for the U.S., I took the opportunity to take a trip up to Beijing and Xi'an to check out the 2008 Chinese Nationals.  Xiang Xiang ("x2") met up with me in Beijing (she was visiting family in Hunan) and we spent most of the first day in Beijing sightseeing and visiting with friends.

Wu Di And Xiang Xiang ("x2") at Hou Hai

After meeting up with Wu Di and checking in to the International Plaza Hotel at Shi Cha Hai, we went to go eat some Beijing Duck at my favorite duck restaurant, Homely!  It isn't the best duck in the world, but the restaurant holds a lot of good memories since I've been going there regularly since 2004.

Delicious Roast Duck

Wu Di is a little too hungry

x2 likes her spicy food

After the meal, Wu Di headed back to Shi Cha Hai, and I went to Tianmen Square with x2.  In the dozen or so times I've been to Beijing, I've never visited the historic site, and x2 had never visited Beijing before at all.  We only had a day so we figured this was a good first place to visit.  Fortunately it wasn't too crowded.  We walked through the square and then over through the walls up to the Forbidden City.

x2 in Tianmen Square

Folks sitting along side a wall

x2 partakes of corn

soldiers on the march

Tianmen Square

We didn't have time (or the energy) to go inside Gu Gong (The Forbidden City) so after heading back to the main streets we found a three wheeled motorized pedicab (the taxis were sparse by this time of day) and had him take us back up to Di An Men Da Jie from where we walked the block or two back to Shi Cha Hai Sports School.

Our motorized pedicab

By this time it was around 5:00 p.m.  We quickly got ready to go out and met with Wu Di, Zane and his friend, Li Jin Han, Chris, Savvy and Reina to go get some sushi.  Chris already blogged a bit about our gathering at the restaurant (which included Chase, William, Will (from Made in HK) and Will's girlfriend) so I won't go in to the details.  I will, however, include this photo (and a few others) since it was pretty cool to see Beijing news covering the alivenotdead.com Halloween Party.

Daniel at the Dead Not Alive Party

Too much food ...

After dinner Wu Di, x2 and I went to get a massage and then it was time to hit the sack.  It had been a long day!

Click here to see more photos from this day.