Bejing and Singapore

Hi Everyone 

well its the start of my overseas travel once again and I am returning to Australia and also visiting Bejing, China and Singapore so very excited about that

27 Oct

leaving for LA tonight from Phoenix to catch my flight with China Airlines to Singapore via Bejing.\, so its going to be a very long night. I arrive in LA around 830pm and my flight leaves at 125am 28 Oct for the first leg to Bejing.

28th Oct

i am all settled in, plane is full, and ready for my 13 hour flight. I watched movies and slept on and off and ate. The food that was served in flight was awful most likely the worst airline food I have ever eaten.

29th Oct

Arrived in Bejing on time and I have a 10hr layover so I booked a  private city tour to visit Tianammen Square and The Forbidden City. I wanted to go to the Great Wall but couldn't do all so it was either the city or the Wall.

The thing about going into China is that you need a visitors visa which costs $149 but if you are in transit and its under 24 hours the immigration officials can grant one a visa  for that period of time but its at their disgression. So with fingers crossed I told immigration my plan for a tour and they granted me a visa.

My drive was there waiting for me once I got through customs and took me to the city to meet my tour guide, It could not have gone smoother than planned.

On the drive China was so different to what I expected. Roads were jam packed with crazy drivers and the traffic was worse than LA LOL. I passed all different types of architecture from ultra modern high rises to the more traditional.

I met my guard at the Square which was busy with tourists, more Asians than Caucasions. My last recollection of the Square was when the students protested and the Governement brought the Miilitary in and fired upon the students. There were many Miiitary standing around and there were 2 huge screens showing videos of  tourist attractions throughout China.

Across from the Square is the Forbidden City which is where Emperors used to live , govern the country, marry, have one wife  and

have many lovers 

The history behind the City is fascinating and the culture as everything is about peace and harmony and good luck.. 

After there I was taken to silk factory to see how silk was produced and turned into many things ie clothes sheets and comforters.

The one thing for me that is so hard to get used to, and Iknow its there culture, but no one stands in line they push a lot and for example when getting off a plane they dont wait for each row to get out they come from the back and just rush.

I went to the bathroom in the Forbidden CIty, and i am stadning in line waiting for someone to come out of the toilet but these women from China and other Asian countries are just coming in and stepping right in front of me and almost fighting to get in a toilet. So i figured after standing there politely this was not going to work so I just almost knocked someone over just to get in a bathroom. Crazy!

4 hours later I was taken back to the airport for my 325pm flight to Singpore which was an approx 8 hr flight.

Again the food was awful and I had to put up with a Chinese man next to me with bad breath leaning over me half the time to talk to someone across the aisle , waving his hand in fron of my computer screen as I am watching the movie. At one point i was woken up by him practically being in my lap shouting to the same gentleman lol The joys of traveling.

I landed in Singapore around 930pm, made it through immigration in record time. I was met by a super gentleman at the airport who took my by taxi to my hotel and I will tell you about more of my trip next time..

take care and chat with you soon xox