Beijing Day 7 - Summer Palace

---

Hi All,

Today started out well! We contacted a tour guy that gave us his card to see if we would be able to do the two last remaining sights in Beijing that we wanted to see - Summer Palace and the Ming Tombs. Well one out of two aint bad you might say. What I say is when you arrange for a tour with an engligh speaking guide and they specifically agree to take you to those two sights but don't then it is bad!

We didn't get to the Ming Tombs at all, driver didn't have a clue where he was going and ended up driving round for hours eventually dropping us off at what they thought was the Ming Tombs but in actual fact was a pretty run down Museum close by. It would be like me dropping you off at my house and saying it was Buckingham Palace!! Also, the english speaking tour guide didn't speak english, the second leg of the tour was pretty much a wash out. Beware of tour operators touting for business outside the Forbidden City, they are more interested in taking you around shops and trying to get you to buy stuff!

On the positive side, the Summer Palace was fantastic, so big that we couldn't get round it all with a huge lake in the middle. The same types of palace buildings as in other photos but still amazing to see. We also got to a Pearl making place. I thought it was rare occurrence to get a pearl in an oyster - it's not! The girl there fished one out of the water, which was taken from the lake in the Summer Palace and sliced it open - there were loads of them!

Ate in a Russian restaurant tonight, which was more western in style and used knives and forks - nearly forgot how to use them hee hee!

Anyhoo, pretty knackered and tomorrow we leave so will blog in again in a few days time. We will be really sad to leave Kelly's Coutyard, it has been a lovely place to stay and the staff have been excellent. I will take some pics tomorrow of the place and give them a great review online - highly recommend it if ever in Beijing :-)

Hope all is good at home and everyone is well.
Take care
Love Anne & Russell xx

---

Comments

[daddy]

take more photos
still looking good, aunty "e" wasnts to look at your blog so will send her the add, r u not home sick yet or r u getting plenty of noodles! luv father and mother broon

[Rusty Broon]

blog
hello father. if you send her the link she can have a look, or just send me her email address and i will email her link. Better email it direct to my hotmail, think this site blocks email addresses and links. We are in Xi'an at the moment, just arrived on the night train from Beijing - it took 12 hours but we slept for probably about 10 of them, it was a 4 bed carriage, but luckily we were the only ones in it! All going well, miss normal milk and cereal and probably cheese. Also miss friends and family but it wont be long till we are home. Think i will have noodles every day when we get back xxx

[Auntie Isobel]

FANTASTIC
Can see what a great time u r having, keep sending the pics and details, lol. Isobel xx

[Rusty Broon]

Hi
Thanks Auntie Isobel, having a great time, here in Xian now for a few days before we head to Hong Kong so I am really excited about going there. Hope all is well back home. We will do another blog update tomorrow for the past 3 days. Take care xx