This is mostly to answer some questions my mom had.
What was security like at the Hong Kong airport?
Security was very painless, just a simple metal detector and putting our bags through an x-ray. Their “TSA” agents were much more friendly than US TSA agents.
What was the flight like? Were announcements in English, too?
We had to take a bus out on the tarmac to our flight, but other than that it went well. We even got a full meal for a 3 hour flight, so that was nice.
What was immigration like in Beijing?
Immigration in both Hong Kong and Beijing was very simple. Wait in a short line then present our passport. With our student visa we don’t even need to fill out entry or departure cards from Hong Kong.
How difficult was it to figure out how to get to your hostel?
Peter had looked up directions so it was very easy to find. The hardest part was navigating around all the people trying to sell us stuff.
You mentioned, "tried to find some place to eat" a number of times. Was it difficult to find food places or just making a decision or finding a place that spoke English?
Sometimes it was difficult to find a place that had food, but usually when we found one place we found a group of them surrounding it. So then we would have to decide which one to go to. We usually tried to find a place with English and/or picture menus and that had a good amount of locals.
Did you guys all share one room, or were you mixed in with others? How was it sharing facilities?
We were in a room that had 8 beds total (4 bunk beds) and we shared a bathroom/shower. It was never a problem sharing, because all of our schedules worked out.
Did they have food at the hostel?
Yes, they had a menu. The food was slightly more expensive but the convenience was worth the price.
Were most of the travelers non-Chinese?
There were no Chinese Travelers while we were there. Some people from Australia, India, Canada, and the US.
Was the hostel as nice as the pictures?
I didn’t see the pictures, but it was very nice. I meant to take my own pictures but forgot.
What was the coolest thing you saw?
The coolest thing for me that I saw was the Olympic Park, especially the water cube. This is because it was so amazing to watch the events that took place there on TV, and to actually be there made them seem a lot more real to me, and exciting.
For non-modern stuff, the coolest thing was seeing the size of the Forbidden City from above.
Was the tour to the Great Wall worthwhile? How much did it cost? How long did it take to get there?
The tour was worthwhile. We had a very good tour guide that was willing to do extra stuff, and was very nice and spoke good English. The whole trip (wall+ming tombs+lunch+transport) cost $350 RMB.
Have you been drinking the water?
In Beijing we avoided drinking tap water straight, but towards the end of the week we were beginning to get more risky by eating fresh fruit and vegetables.
Have you had any problems with food or drink?
I didn’t but Peter did.
What kind of food have you been eating? You mentioned dumplings, Peking duck, donkey.
All Chinese food while in Beijing. Usually some dish with rice. Something I learned is that even if rice is included with your meal, you have to ask for it separately after they bring your main dish out. This is because traditionally you give someone the rice at the end of the meal, and if you bring it out too soon it means you want them to leave.
Do you order a number of things and all share - like the Chinese people do at Village Wok?
Usually we would order our own things and just taste some of the others, or finish what they had left.
Were your travel partners good to travel with?
Yes. I probably would have liked to stay out later some nights, and we were a bit slow getting out of the hostel in the morning, but other than that they were good.
Do you think you'll travel anymore with them?
If they want to travel with me.
Do you have any ideas right now for other excursions?
Right now I don’t really know. There is a deal for round trip from Hong Kong to Manila for $106 US so I think I might do that some weekend. I want to go to Thailand, Taiwan, Tokyo, and possibly somewhere in Vietnam. I don’t want to do all of those that is just the list of places I could go.
What kind of train compartment did you have?
Hard Sleeper with 6 beds
How was communcation on the train?
All of the announcements were in Chinese, but the porters all spoke a good amount of English.
Were you able to sleep much?
I slept most of the ride.
Did it stop much?
It stopped a few times but I was sleeping during most of them.
How long did it take to get from the train station back to school?
About 30-40 minutes.
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