Life between trips

Forbidden city  looks as ominous as it sounds today. What with the grey skies and chilly weather.  The weather has been forecast to rain for the entire day. It doesn't really help when i wake up with a headache.  We decide to enter the historical site via Tiananmen East which will pass through Tiananmen Square.  There were lots of barricades around the area and there are long queues to get into the Tiananmen. But the process is still considered smooth. Just then right before we can pass through the main gate to forbidden city, the guards stopped everyone from entering for no reason. An the crowd started gathering at the square. To make things worse, it started pouring.   The wait to get in was an hour and the rain didn't stop the entire time. Not the most pleasant experience.  Alot of interiors are not accessible to visitors, and we can only peek through the doors to for a glimpse. This hall is one of them.  Despite the weather, there is...

The great wall of china is one of the wonders of the world and of course we'll make a trip there. There are few locations to choose  and we decided on Mutianyu based on the recommendation of a friend. Other locations for great wall are: Badaling, Jinshanling, Jiankou, Simatai, Huanghuacheng, Gubeikou, Juyongguan, Huangyaguan, Shanhai Pass.  Located in Huairou District in Beijing. Mutianyu is 70 km away from city centre. The No. 1 Great wall cable car lies at the foot of Mutianyu. This part of the Great wall was built by General Xuda under the reign of Zhu Yuanzhang during early Ming dynasty and is famed for it beauty.  Getting there is possible by subway followed by the bus. There are direct bus to the location early in the morning with a few bus trips. But after 9 am, you will need to wait for the regular bus which comes once every hour.  You can take a taxi ride or wait for the bus. Be aware of taxi operators touting at the bus stop to Mutianyu station.  ...

Shanghai Tower 上海之巅 501 Middle Yincheng Road, Pudong, Shanghai Shanghai Tower is 632 metres and is 127 floors above ground. It is currently China's tallest and world's second tallest building. Can't miss the views from the top of the world.  To access the place, we took a ferry ride from Shanghai bund to experience how the locals cross the rivers. The experience is more authentic as there are more locals than tourist on the ferry.  We got the normal tickets which provides access to B1F and B118F at RMB 180. For full access (include B125F) price is RMB220. Here's a comparison of the world's tallest skyscrapers. You can find this at level B1F Exhibition hall. The view that when the sun is setting. of course we took a photo of the photo in the building. Doubt we can actually get such vivid colours and clarity.  After taking in the views we can go redeem complimentary photos at the photo corner. It was pretty hilarious and in a sense pretty bad PR.  ...

The Shanghai Starbucks Roastery is huge. Spanning 30,000 square feet it is made up of 2 levels.  Coffee and food were served on the first floor. The stations on level one are Main Bar, Pairing Bar and Princi (Bakery)  Tea and spirits and food are served on the second floor. The stations on level two are Teavana and Long Bar and  of course the newly created station Mixato. The place is packed on a weekday late morning but seats can still to be found relatively easily. Starbucks inhouse tea brand Teavana The journey of the bean - the roasting journey. And its one of the rare places you can buy freshly roasted coffee beans for own consumption. The food from Princi. The pizza is served warmed but not so for the bread. I requested to for the bread to be heated up but was refused? stating that it has to be served cold. It was only when i insisted that they obliged. Unusual latte art on my Latte. And this must be really difficult to make. The mor...

The iconic Shanghai bund  外滩  is a must see in Shanghai .  It is a representation of bygone heydays of the past as a powerful center of foreign influence in Shanghai.  The buildings fronting the Huangpu river are clearly distinct opposites. With  art-deco and western style buildings lining one side of river while on the opposite are modern high rise buildings with the most distinct being the Oriental Pearl Tower and Shanghai Tower (the tallest building in Shanghai at present moment). The night and day scenes of the Shanghai bund is also dramatically different.  If time permits it will be good to enjoy the views of the day and night. But of course, the night views offers the spectacular light show along the waterfront from 7 pm till late.  Round up the night with live jazz music at the Peace Hotel Old Jazz Bar. Reservations must be made in advance. This place is highly popular and reservations are difficult. We are l...