CHINA Oct 30-Nov 13: Part II - Our Time with Angela & her family

CHINA Fall 2014
Our Time with Angela & her family

798 Art Zone

We had the best most authentic day yesterday!  We met up with our friends, Angela & Evan Zhou and their 4 month old baby girl, Dong Dong.

Lama Temple

After a lot of hugging and apologizing for the horrible smog, we began our journey to Lama Temple.  Lame Temple is very interesting as it honors the Tibetan People and the Dali Lama.  There are 6 different temples within the complex and part of the praying includes incense.  The final temple has a huge white sandlewood tree from Nepal shaped into a 26 meter golden leaf Buddha.

After visiting Lama Temple, we drove to 798 Art Zone.  This was a huge abandoned factory that manufactured anything from munitions to crystals.  The buildings fell apart into disrepair and artists begin moving in.  Fast forward, this is a thriving area full of galleries and restaurants.  The artists have had to move away because the rent has become too high.  There are exhibitions to experience, art to buy as well as Chinese designed jewelry and clothing.

Grace Hotel Beijing

Speaking of Design ... we had lunch at the Design Hotels Grace Hotel Beijing.  Lunch was delicious and the setting was edgy.  When we were leaving, we met Aria, the Sales Manager of the Grace Hotel Beijing.  Grace Hotels are found in a few places around the world such as Santorini and Mykonos Greece.  

Deluxe Room at the Grace Hotel Beijing

There are 35 rooms and suites at the Grace Hotel Beijing.  I was impressed with this 4 star boutique hotel.  Each room was carefully decorated.  The beds looked inviting and the bathrooms had dual sinks.  Aria explained that the staff knew everyone by name and what their interests were.  This is a casual hotel.  The location is not central however the hotel offers complementary transfers into the CBD or Central Business District of Beijing twice daily.  Make sure to ask for a room overlooking the garden.

After lunch, Angela and Evan treated us to a 90 minute foot massage at a 60 room spa.  This was hilarious!  No one spoke English.  We were asking to put on what looked like pajamas then sit on comfortable, huge chairs and place our feet in a barrel of steaming hotel water.  Afterward, we were treated to Beijing's version of a foot massage for 60 minutes then a body massage over our clothing for 30 more minutes.  This was quite the experience and I would strongly recommend it.  

Peking Duck

NOTE:  The massages usually involve strong pressure and pounding.  Make sure to explain and show with your hands that pounding is a no no no if you prefer.

Four Seasons Beijing

Angela picked us up and we met Dong Dong in the car.  We went to Restaurant Nineteen Forty Nine the Hidden City.  What a treat!  Angela and Evan brought a bottle of Chinese red wine which was surprisingly good.  We enjoyed the lovely wine with a perfectly balanced meal with great friends.  Of course we had Peking Duck now called Beijing Roasted Duck but my favorite was the Almond Chicken.

After this full day and dealing with jet lag, we said our goodbyes and made plans to meet the following morning at 10:00am at the Four Seasons Beijing.

Four Seasons Beijing Bedroom

We arrived to a warm Four Seasons welcome after a 20 minute taxi ride from the Waldorf Astoria.  Lucky us, our room was ready and we found ourselves in a standard room on the 21st Floor.  The room is cozy with a comfortable king bed.  The bathroom only has one sink but otherwise is lovely.

We met with Angela and her family and journeyed over to one of Beijing's many Hutongs.  Angela arranged for a pedicab ride through the Hutong and midway, we stopped to visit with a family living in the Hutong.  

Hutongs

We sipped Jasmine tea and learned about life in the Hutong.  Did you know that most of the homes have a bedroom and even a kitchen?  What they don't have is a bathroom or shower.  People share a communal bathroom and showers are taken in bathhouses.  The family created art in small glass bottles previously known as snuff bottles.  I saw the owner's niece paint inside the tiny bottle and when I chose one as a souvenir for my granddaughter, she painted Maddy in Chinese inside the bottle - VERY cool!

After the Hutong, we went to lunch at a typical Beijing "hotpot" restaurant.  What is a hotpot restaurant?  Well you are given plates and plates of food and you dip it fondue style into a pot of boiling water.  We enjoyed lamb, beef, crabs, shrimp and veggies such as spinach, mushrooms and sweet potatoes.  After cooking the food in the hotpot, we dipped it in a secret peanut based sauce.  What a fun experience!

Beijing "hotpot" restaurant

We ended our day with hugs and promises to meet in Los Angeles.  Angela, Evan and little Dong Dong were perfect hosts during our time together.  We became closer as we found that we shared many of the same values and experiences and now consider them to be part of our extended family and can't wait to see them again.

Tonight, we are meeting with our group and begin our educational tour of China with Imperial Tours.

The World is Our Playground!

Mari