Today is Friday and our Adventures by Disney opening reception is tonight. Since I had an opportunity to explore the area near the Peninsula Hotel the night before I was ready to show my wife and daughter the area.
One thing that we were not aware of is the need to be very careful crossing the streets in China. Although you may have a walk signal there is no guarantee that the cars will stop. Pedistrians have no rights in China so the cars expect you to stop...not them. What is more interesting is that a right turn has the right away to cars that are going straight through an intersection. We found that the taxis do not even look to the left. They have the right of way and any oncoming cars or pedistrians have to yield. I remember Kim's numerous screams to stop as cars continued in front or behind of you.
I had found a Peking Duck restaurant near the hotel. Peking duck is a favorite of mine that we first experienced in London a decade ago. There are a number of restaurants that serve the signature dish of Beijing (formally called Peking). The duck is a special breed from the area and the tradition started when Europeans came to China and, instead of the traditional goose, started serving duck for holidays and special occassions.
That afternoon we took a taxi to the White Cloud Daoism Temple. As one of the last travel values for Americans and the depreciating dollar, a taxi to almost anywhere within the city costs approximately $3.00. When we arrived at the temple there were a number of people selling what looked like fireworks. We declined to buy the bundles and found out when we entered the temple that they were actually incense. Inside the temple there are numerous temples where incense and prayers were offered. We walked through the holy place and entered numerous temples to offer our prayers. The Temple of Wealth and the Temple of Wisdom were expecially appealing. Monks walked through the temples and guarded over the facilities preventing any noise or pictures. After a couple of hours we headed back to the hotel.
That evening our opening event was held at the Royal Restaurant, across the street from the Peninsula Hotel. We viewed a tea demonstration and then ate an emporer style dinner. We found during our trip that lazy susans are a staple in China...the food is brought family style and doesn't seem to stop. Sweet items were brought first followed by numerous entrees. Rice is brought at the end of the meal to fill you if you have not had enough to eat already. By that time I had enough to eat. You know the meal is over when the watermelon is brought to the table. This was a theme as we ate in numerous Chineese cities.
Following dinner we dressed in traditional Chineese emporer's clothes and had our pictures taken. We met our guides...Fred from Beijing and Dusty, an entertainer from Walt Disney World that has been an Adventures by Disney guide for a few years. They were fun, caring people that knew a lot about China and the cities we were to visit.
After dinner we were still not use to the time change and went back to the hotel to get ready for an early day tomorrow to visit more of this exiciting city.
Recommendations: Cheap Tsing Tao beer and walking the streets and markets
Feel free to visit our web site at http://CelebrationHomeSales.com
|  | 
|
