Proof of shopaholics!

Spotted! All the charge slips from our China trip revealed. Thanks to my trusty Gold Visa (please issue me my Platinum!), 6 digit shopping sprees are always possible. Credit is <3

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Somethin' somethin.

A week after the Beijing-Shanghai shopping spree and I still have a hangover.

For alcohol hangovers, you pop a few pills. For shopping? You definitely have to drop by your favorite store and walk out with something.

I feel better now. :)

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Day 2 Beijing: What's for Dinner?

After an exhausting day, we scoured the streets of Beijing for some late night craving. We of course decided to go for some authentic Chinese restaurant. We stumbled upon this joint that's still open at 10pm. Some tip for non-mandarin-speaking travelers, when ordering Chinese food scrutinize the menu photos and order what you know or what you feel you can eat. You should also perfect the art of charades, as its the only sure way to communicate to the staff as your order your food. To be safe, we always order some veggies, soup, chicken and either beef or pork and some dumplings.

This one tasted strong onion-y flavor. I am not a fan.

I love chicken breast and wings. But I think this is a duck wing, which was so-so.

This soup we loved. It has a strong parsley taste though.

This is like pork asado. Most of us loved this.

Very neutral taste. More or less like our local gyoza.

We ordered much so we took home the leftovers, which we never got to eat again. The staff also gave us these take away containers instead of them packing it up for us, very DIY, which we prefer as we feel its more hygienic.

Shopping at Raffles City

From Tian'anmen Square, M and I took the cab as L, Patti and F took the subway to Raffles City as a game to see who will arrive there first. Obviously the trio won, as it is very difficult to get a cab along Chang'an Avenue.

When we arrived Raffles City, we noticed a lot of cute skater boys. We failed to get a recon photo though, since its very un-lady like. Char!

There is also this very cute Chow Chow that we've seen. This is the first time also that I've seen dogs being walked with a leash, as in China they usually walk their dogs without restraints. Did you know that the Chow Chow a.k.a. Songshi Quan was developed and bred in China? Something to know.

Upon entering the Raffles City mall, you will notice this structure at the middle of the atrium that resembles a diamond - looks very grand. We went there to shop for H&M, but we also looked at these interesting brands... So Day 1 of shopping in China begins...

Day 2 Beijing: Tian'anmen Square

After safely arriving from our Great Wall - Ming's Tomb and Sacred Way tour, we went back to our hotel for a quick nappie before we head out for the night walk in the city. The Egg and Tian'anmen Square are next in our list for must see places in Beijing. We got at Tian'anmen Square via the subway, which costs only 2 Yuan, and the station is just right across the square - very convenient. There are also lot of tourists at the square even at night - the place can be a bit crowdy, though we think its safe since there are also a lot of policemen on duty in the area. Just be sure that you will not get separated from your group since it will be hard to spot your friends amidst the crowd. Sadly, The Egg was not lit that night. But we got a lot of beautiful photos of the square. Lovely Yeye Mao!

Day 2 Beijing: Sacred Way

The Sacred Way is an optional part of the tour. After seeing the Great Wall of China and Ming's Tomb, the majority of the group decided to see the Sacred Way since its on the way back to Beijing. We are glad we decided to still see this site for its so serene and gorgeous. The Sacred Way is actually the path where the burial procession for the Emperor starts. Its statue and animal sculptures are made so perfectly, the gardens are sublime, reminiscent of French gardenscapes, maybe more so when spring comes to full bloom. We suggest though that you ask the tour guide to take you here after seeing the Great Wall of China, as its a better second pit stop. Truevali recommends the Beki traveller to go see and not miss this landmark in China. The Sacred Way is worth every Yuan.

Day 2 Beijing: What's for Lunch?

Of course, Chinese! Lunch comes inclusive with the Great Wall of China tour package, and this was the menu served. Mind you, the Chinese flavour we crave for in the mainstream Chinese restaurants in the Philippines does not taste the same when you are in the mainland. Now, it is our second day in China and its the first time we really liked the food. The taste was neutral, and it was obvious we enjoyed it since we practically ate the whole lot. Our European table mates might have been surprised on the contrast of our demure behavior to our gustatory gusto when faced with delish offerings. We just hoped there was a second serving of those dishes, of names we do not know. Yikes! But whatev! We loved it.