Beijing Day 1 - 15th June

Spent most of the day in airplane and airport. The first flight was from KK to Hong Kong through DragonAir. What a lonely and small plane. However, there's an amusing Hongkie name i heard on the anouncement for boarding called "Christmas Ng" (not sure whether it's spelt that way). I must complain that now we are not allowed to bring any liquids which are over 100ml. I didn't receive enough information about that prior to my luggage check in which I had to stash my sunblock in someone's luggage. Even normal mineral water bottles are not allowed! We had to gulp as much as we could before entering into the boarding hall. Life without water is bleak. And I heard China's water is hard for us to get accustomed. Thanks to all suicide bomber threats.

On flight food was obviously typical MAS one.

On arrival to Chek Lap Kok in HongKong, we had to change flight company to Cathay Pacific due to cancellation of DragonAir flight to Beijing. Not many of using flying from KK, and to tell you the shocking truth, our tour group only consist of 9 person, including the tour leader from KK...(tell you more about it later). Don't laugh, this is my first time seeing all ranks of personnels and officers down to the cleaner lady are Chinese and most importantly speak Cantonese. Ah...how nice my own dialect! except that I donno how to read and write Chinese, that makes me look like someone illiterate in the Chinese world.

part of Chek Lap Kok

Cathay Pacific is superb, forgive me that this is my 1st long haul flight. Even the Nestle ice-cream served is better than the local ones. Once and for all, pork is on the menu. Sitting next to me is a girl from Qatar ( I saw it while she was filling up the immigration card), spoke Chinese and look Americanized. Cool. And watched some old movies on flight.

On arriving Beijing, it was almost 8.30pm and before touching down at 8pm, the sky was still bright.

When we met the tour guide who pick us from the airport, he dressed like someone who just finish lion dance ( We shall call him Xiao Li from now).

Before retiring to the hotel, we were brought to supper in a big 5 storey dim sum restaurant (opened by a Hongkie). Food was not bad and all 4 storeys were full of people. It was 9.30pm.

And oh...I thought summer was supposed to be hot or at least humid, but Beijing was different. The temperature was a breeze around 25celcius. The air was a bit dry but that was fine with me. I prefer to travel in cool dry air rather than under hot and humid sun.