Anyone going over for New Years?

[Mick]

Have a great trip and enjoy the crowds. Seriously, have a wonderful time.

[david_dawei]

Have a great trip and enjoy the crowds. Seriously, have a wonderful time.

actually, I really love being among the crowds... it's like being at a ball game.... which extends for an entire country

[tsap seui]

Have a great trip and enjoy the crowds. Seriously, have a wonderful time.

actually, I really love being among the crowds... it's like being at a ball game.... which extends for an entire country

 

Have a great time David...you've worked hard, now it's time to PLAY EVEN HARDER!!!

 

tsap seui

[david_dawei]

veni vidi vici - JC (for those who jump to conclusions, this is Julius Casear). I came, I saw, I conquered.

 

I went to China for a week against most of my normal inclinations (I never go less than a month) but my instinct was to go for a week.

 

I went to see Jesse in Nanning with my friend and I will admit that for a rare moment, I did not feel time past too quickly. Often I feel after a month or three that time is too fast but I actually felt like the time was simply timeless (which it is, but let's not argue metaphysic too much).

 

I arrived to Shanghai for the first time and found it much easier than BJ but then needed a hop, skip and jump to Nanjing of 3-4 hours. Eventually arriving there in celebratory mood, all four of us now together, and we drank way too much and I woke up with a killer headache due to empty stomach; I stumbled out around 9am with towel over my head announcing I'll never drink again... Jesse knew better; just give me a sleep or two to renew; He was right. By evening and two sleeps later I was ready to go.

 

Nanjing was unseasonably cold but New Years brings the festive activity of fireworks which there seemed to be no need of. We fired more than four people should be allowed by law to have.

 

long story short; great time. many laughs. short adventures in Nanjing for the new year including a stop at an expat bar for endless rounds of shots and playing pool.

[david_dawei]

My usually routine is to return to BJ the day of flight; but my last two trips I decided to return the day before and simply have a hotel close to the airport; thus, just bounce around BJ as I want.

 

On my previous trip, I have posted the place I stayed a few miles from the airport which I recommend. This time I got a 'reference' from that hotel which was booked to another. So we went there. Needless to say, that was an adventure I never planned.

 

A fairly low class hotel but nestled in a small village of dirty repute. We walked down windy back alleys which seemed to never end and revealed mostly their exposed sewage. If it were not for these back alley awareness of the dirty slums, rotting dwellings, street sewage, and dirty setting... one would never know they are 10 minutes from the country's capital airport of Beijing.

 

Children played among the stagnant sewage water, scooping it out to play games; dogs ran about freely as did children play without concern or supervision. If I had not seen the expose sewage, I would not realize the entire labyrinth of streets was piling bricks and storage overtop of the sewage as if to conceal it. As I walked down more and more alleys, I realized that many ways to hide the sewage occurred.

 

In the end, I knew that I was simply always walking over sewage without realizing it. Welcome to the back streets of china; dare I suggest even some main streets of china or metaphorically the US

[Tony_onrock]

missed this post. I flew to Nanning on the 12th from Shanghai also. enjoyed the cold in Nanning, roller bladed two laps around the South Lake each day (17.2 Km) for a week. Next time I can host a party on my deck in nanning once the fit out is complete. Bought a house there with 80 sq meter roof deck close to the river.

To avoid the bad hotels, stay at a good hotel. Next time in Beijing, let me know I can book you Hotel G at owner's rate. Only draw back, no flirting with the front desk girls. Our affiliate owns two resorts in Thailand and the largest hotel chain there also.