Geographically speaking, Beijing was the best option as Japan and South Korea have visa terms stricter than China. The former is a giveaway. But the most compelling reason why I chose Beijing was the financial impact on my wallet. A backpacker's oath is to maximize every penny, every cent, getting the best value for everything. I try to live with my morals. I will never turn my back on my beliefs. Haha. You have to be street smart, independent and physically fit to be a backpacker. Damn right that's true!
Tokyo and Seoul boast their high profile lifestyle; one of the most expensive in the world actually. So why pay ten times the price when you can get a better value on a slashed amount. And besides, that White Christmas was just a lame excuse. I was really rooting for the Great Wall of China, and the centuries-old Hutong!
Everything seemed going according to plan until I realized something... my friends aren't the backpacker type. This statement does not, in any way, insinuate that my friends are considered otherwise based on what I mentioned earlier (second paragraph, second to the last sentence for your reference). =)
So we ended up getting a travel agency to book our airfare, hotel, tours, etc. Travel agency tour means higher cost for me. Personally, I didn't want to but with their continued persuasion and the idea that we all get to travel together was a thrilling thought. And since I am an unselfish (naks!) friend, adding P35,000 (with eyes closed) to my original budget SHOULD be worth it.
Skylab (Katipunan) facilitated our trip. For the longest time I was doing my own itinerary to all my trips in and out-of-the-country, I felt the convenience that this time someone was doing it for me. I guess my uneasiness in getting a paid tour could be attributed to an almost traumatic experience.
Travel Junkie side story...
Hongkong vacation was my parents' college graduation gift. They booked a tour from a travel agency in Tomas Morato, Quezon City. The package was okay but the itinerary "forced" us to go to some jade/jewelry stores, silk company, and pearl factory for most of the trip. This was not really the ideal package for me. But mom's point-of-view was of course otherwise. Shopping was the peak of our vacation. She went crazy buying this huge jade dragon boat home, jewelries you don't even know if they were genuine and a lot more. While dad was envious when I went out drinking alone in Guangzhou, China. Haha. Yes, I got to party with the locals and was treated royalty as I was a foreigner trying to speak those memorized Chinese greetings/words/phrases. Someone even bought me a drink. Was I a dish for them? I bet I were/am. I was really drunk that night. Nobody understood English but the bar's manager Huen. Language barrier was evident but a little sign language was handy. The bar was a few blocks away from South Window Hotel so I didn't hesitate to get wasted.
During the guided tours, we were packed inside this coaster with other Filipino tourists. That was okay but what really annoyed me was when we had to wait for others who apparently, was very strict in following the infamous Filipino time. Like, they owned the coaster and we were their faithful slaves. Since mainlaind China and Hongkong have distinct guidelines in terms of border crossing, it was really a pain in the "pants" to wait on very long queues that felt forever. Plus, we had to walk for over a kilometer with all our baggage with us (coach transfer from Guanzhou to Hongkong). Hongkong also had the same forced itinerary. It was the time I was really concerned about. I believe we could have done so much more. So I told myself, never again will I let a travel agency ruin my life.
Travel Junkie side story...
Hongkong vacation was my parents' college graduation gift. They booked a tour from a travel agency in Tomas Morato, Quezon City. The package was okay but the itinerary "forced" us to go to some jade/jewelry stores, silk company, and pearl factory for most of the trip. This was not really the ideal package for me. But mom's point-of-view was of course otherwise. Shopping was the peak of our vacation. She went crazy buying this huge jade dragon boat home, jewelries you don't even know if they were genuine and a lot more. While dad was envious when I went out drinking alone in Guangzhou, China. Haha. Yes, I got to party with the locals and was treated royalty as I was a foreigner trying to speak those memorized Chinese greetings/words/phrases. Someone even bought me a drink. Was I a dish for them? I bet I were/am. I was really drunk that night. Nobody understood English but the bar's manager Huen. Language barrier was evident but a little sign language was handy. The bar was a few blocks away from South Window Hotel so I didn't hesitate to get wasted.
During the guided tours, we were packed inside this coaster with other Filipino tourists. That was okay but what really annoyed me was when we had to wait for others who apparently, was very strict in following the infamous Filipino time. Like, they owned the coaster and we were their faithful slaves. Since mainlaind China and Hongkong have distinct guidelines in terms of border crossing, it was really a pain in the "pants" to wait on very long queues that felt forever. Plus, we had to walk for over a kilometer with all our baggage with us (coach transfer from Guanzhou to Hongkong). Hongkong also had the same forced itinerary. It was the time I was really concerned about. I believe we could have done so much more. So I told myself, never again will I let a travel agency ruin my life.
Three years later, I found myself booking a tour for four in, uhmmm, a travel agency.
But the Beijing tour was way different. After a 5-hour flight, we arrived at Beijing International airport at exactly 9:00AM. We had to change to our winter clothes as the weather was -17. The Travel agency tour guide, Sungmi, fetched us and led us to our private van. She was really nice and has good English but with a thick Chinese accent. Comprehensive but confusing sometimes. She took us to a fancy restaurant and had an early buffet lunch which offered, (whatelse?), Chinese food.
But the Beijing tour was way different. After a 5-hour flight, we arrived at Beijing International airport at exactly 9:00AM. We had to change to our winter clothes as the weather was -17. The Travel agency tour guide, Sungmi, fetched us and led us to our private van. She was really nice and has good English but with a thick Chinese accent. Comprehensive but confusing sometimes. She took us to a fancy restaurant and had an early buffet lunch which offered, (whatelse?), Chinese food.
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| Meet the tour guide, Sungmi |
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| Meet the waiter |
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| Meet the Chinese restaurant (background) |
I got easily excited when she told us that we would first visit the Forbidden City. I never thought that I would ever see this. Forbidden City was the CRIB of China's Kings and Queens. It's like touring the White House but hundred times more dramatic and culture-ish.
Everywhere you look was a picture perfect shot. However, taking pictures of Mai Zedong portrait was a big no-no unless you wanted to be scolded by the palace guards from the Tiananmen gate. Sungmi said it is against their laws.
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| Background lake iced up |
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| In front of the Forbidden City |
Everywhere you look was a picture perfect shot. However, taking pictures of Mai Zedong portrait was a big no-no unless you wanted to be scolded by the palace guards from the Tiananmen gate. Sungmi said it is against their laws.
Tiananmen Square is the first gate of the Forbidden City. It's a huge park where we have parked the van. :) Seriously. That's where we met our driver. And since we're ahead of schedule and dinner would be too early we asked Sungmin what would she suggest on us doing to kill time. We were all clueless until we passed by Beijing Worker's Club theater (tel. # 63528910) that showcased live Chinese Acrobat performance. We paid around P1,500 each and it's worth every penny. I highly recommend this to anyone who would visit Beijing.
Buffet dinner came after and checked in at Jiao Tong Hotel (tel. # 1362126041). This is also accessible by a subway en route the city's key places.
But one should really take a paid tour as commuting in China is a huge problem due to language barrier.
Highlights of my trip:
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| Temple of Heaven |
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| Inside temple of Heaven |
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| Olympic Waterloo and Bird's Nest |
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| Ming tombs |
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| Authentic Chinese massage for free |
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| Shopping at Wangfuji Street |
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| The Great Wall of China |
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| I conquered the Great Wall. |
We thought of adding an extra day would be a good idea so we made adjustments on our hotel accommodation and flight schedules through our Travel Agency. Five days in total still felt too short especially when we were having a blast.
Skiing did not happen as it would majorly affect our planned activities and my friends were not really into it. For the most part, I got what I wanted. But did I?
This vacation happened a few years ago. Celly is currently residing in Ireland. Dodj, Yeye and I still work for the same company but practically living our separate lives already due to career involvement. The Beijing trip was our first and last out-of-the-country vacation together. Should I chose to travel alone, the classic Yeye-JP-Celly-trio-bullying-Dodj in China would have been a priceless non-existent scene; the wonderful gifts I received during our "White Christmas" would have been a celebration alone in a bar getting, typically, drunk; I could have happily skii-ed for half a day instead of the limitless and countless times we laughed, joked, bonded; I could have met new people and learned new things instead I was stuck with one of the best few people I have known.
All these because I gave in to my friends' persuasion, I ignored that selfish calling to travel alone, I booked my trip in a TRAVEL AGENCY.
The photo sums up my Great travel experience, the Great Wall of China and the Great Friends of the Travel Junkie.
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| Greatness. |
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