55. SUMMER PALACE.. continued

From the moment we walked into SUMMER PALACE ( Which where emperors and empresses used to go to escape Beijings oppressive summertime heat) we were amazed at the amount of people there, the mountains, and the beauty that was within these walls. Jonny and I were literally taken abreathe. ( Pictures) And so were the people.. but not with Summer Place.. with us. cont....

I guess the chinese characters say " Climb at your own risk."

They loved me. Love at first sight. See the video on the next page.

Can you find me?

54.We made it in China

 We get to China.  From the airport we knew we were going to experience something different. You remember in elementary school when you always wanted to be in the front of the line. Thats how it was just to board and exit the airplane, Wooof… Jonny and I were tossed by the Chinese. Its like if your not speed walking, your going to get stomped on. It’s the funniest thing watching them run to the baggage claim, as if  there luggage is going to be  handed to them once they reach there. Anyways, after an hour taxi drive in nothing but traffic and smoggy air we get to our hotel. We walk into this Hotel called the ALOFT. Now, On the internet this looked like the place to BE. When we got there it was the place to FLEE. Broken elevator handles, smoked filled rooms, stains ( that’s all I got  to say about that)

Second Choice.. Better Choice

Not to mention it was 45 min away from Beijing City. Not good at all. So I talked to mangament downstairs and Jonny made many phone calls to Travelocity.  After about 5 hours of not understanding anything anyone was saying and constant Skype disconnects, we received our refund. We booked at something closer, SwissOtel. In the meantime we visited the closest sightseeing area…

View from Outside

53. SOI- MAAAAK and Pink SLip

Heres what happened the next day..

52. GOTTA BE KIDDING ME

      So we wake up around 9:30. ( everyone who knows me, knows that this was a difficult task, waking up in the morning). We walk downstairs eat some breakfast. Now im just going to Bullet everything.

*Get on the train

* Talk to a guy on the train. “ You guys are on the wrong Train. Go back one and take the underground train, MRT.”

*Get on MRT to AOSOK, down to PHRA RAM9

* We walked to Chinese Consulate.

* Grab ticket #191

*Fill out 4 page VISA Papers

* Guy next to us says “ Do you have Visa Picture.” We say “no” He says “ Go down the street and get your picture down, Hurry!!”

* We go down the streets and get pictures taken. By the time we left they were on # 120

* Take Pictures

* Make it back and We now sit and wait.

* 130,140…..,150……., 160…. 170….. remember now we are #191

180…..

• 3 people now left in the Visa Office
• 189….190  WE ARE CLOSED. The Security turns the Lights off on us and we are left in the dark and kicked out of the Chinese Embassy. “ Come  back tomorrow.”
• WHAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH  “ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!!!”.

Map Of train station.

So at it again we go tomorrow.

Creative looking trains

Train station

Bourne Identity type stuff

4 pages of VISA INFO

Notice the Passport pictures

#191

LAST 3 People in the Visa Office

Notice my hand says 191. and the empty rooms says 190. Crazy.

51. The Problems

We get to the airport and the lady says “ Visa Please”.( Note: Nothing when buying tickets or reserving Hotels said anything about our visas. ) So we were like “yeah, sure, here are our passports.” Lady said “ We cannot let you go to China, you need a visa. Go to Chinese Embassy tomorrow.”

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!! ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!!

 This ruins not only our package deal to China, but now we need to find a Hotel here. So we end up getting a nice deal for 100US dollars for 2 Nights. Awesome. Still frazzled about this situation we end up sleeping late.

Cont….

50. CHINA????

 There are two ways to get an extension on your travlers visa.

1. Go to the Consulate and hope they give you another 30 days
2. Travel out the country and come back in to get stamped for another 30 days.

We are on day 28 of our trip and its time for us to go so we decided to go with #2. We are going to China. Beijing to be exact to see the Great Wall of China. We are on this side of the world, why not?

Cont…

49. ITs About to FLood.

When it rains it pours here. Its not nice to know that the floor your sleeping on has the possibility to flood. So during meeting i noticed that it was raining for about an hour and a half. On Saturday, it rained for an hour and it was near flooding, so here is what i came home to on Sunday.