Day 4
This morning we had to get up at 5am and make our way to the airport for our flight to Beijing. We arrived at Chiangi, probably the best airport in the world. It is fast and efficient, extremely clean, and bright and shiny. Apart from the usual duty free shops and restaurants, there are movie theatres, hairdressers, gymnasium, day spa and even a swimming pool to help fill in the time while you wait for your flight.
Our flight to Beijing was 5 ½ hours long and a couple of movies helped to fill in the time. We arrived in Beijing at about 4pm and were welcomed by bright sunshine and no sign of the smog we were told to expect.
Beijing is officially home to 14 million people but it is believed to be more like 18 million people. Our drive to the hotel from the airport revealed a well laid out city that is clean with wide avenues and as we got closer to our hotel the traffic got heavier. They have a system here a bit like our odds and evens system for watering, if your number plate has a one and a seven you cant drive your car today, tomorrow it will be 2 and 8 and so on.
We are staying at the Grand Hotel Beijing, and it certainly is grand. It is a former imperial palace and many of the original features of the palace are still evident today. There are several fountains in the central atrium surrounded by balconies draped in overhanging ivy. A grand piano sits in the middle of the room and a young lady plays the piano of an evening.
Our rooms have a view to the west and can see the Forbidden City. We are alongside the widest and longest boulevard which goes from east to west right across the city. It is packed full of traffic and is named The Boulevard of Everlasting Peace.We had a welcome meeting tonight in one of the meeting rooms. We have a local guide and a tour director and all together our group is sixteen people. Fifteen Australians and one New Zealander.