Beijing: Herbal Institute - Summer Palace - Hutong Life - Panda House

13.9.19 - 7.30 am to 18 pm

Inside the hotel

and outside the fish pond

The bus takes us first to the Herbal Institute 

we start to hate these promotional demonstrations,

but at least we get here a nice 20 minutes long foot massage ...

because a doctor is trying to do a short diagnosis about everyones health

and wants to sell some herbal medication. Not successfull in our case!

Finally we get out there, and arrive a the

Summer Palace!

Screening of bags and checking passports ...

security everywhere!

We explore the gardens ....

but time is limited.

Far too much time on those promotional shopping opportunities!

Off we go to our optional Hutong Life -

We are a little bit too early for the lunch invitation of a local family

so we have to spend about one hour waiting in this park -

because the other privately invited bus passengers haven't yet finished their lunch.

So we get an offer for a Thai-Chi lesson:

graffity painting with water only -

and finally we can take off to the family:

mazelike little lanes with old courtyards - and 

couple of houses sharing a public toilet and shower!

We have fun whilst a lot of dishes in bowls are put on the table!

We did not know that this lunch will be our yummiest meal on this trip!

Afterwards we have time for a chat in the courtyard

and these rickshaws are definitely out of order:

Then we are off in the bus for our last stop for today:

Waiting for the tickets .... 

even in the Zoo, there are some security guardians

and here we are : in the Panda area

Miss Kitty everywhere ... but here a big one

I could stay here forever ....

as all 5 Pandas were really in playmood!

and for a change: some signs in German language!

Summary of our Beijing experience:

Even in the Hotel and in the touristic areas not much English is spoken.

We are not fans of huge bus groups .....

too much waiting time, until all are back, and

never all were in or on time back.

Promotional shopping was taking too much time of

the sightseeing itself and strolling in the gardens.

Tomorrow we are moving on!