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Beijing |The Great Wall, Ming Tombs and Hot Springs Tour
Upon arriving at the Beijing airport, we were greeted by a car from the Hotel. I thought the car smelled but realized later it was the smell of the city. Rob likened it to the smell of a sparkler when the fire burns out. I opened my bottle of peppermint oil to replace the odor with a more relaxing scent. I tend to get nauseas with jet lag, unfortunately leading to migraines. Drinking water and smelling peppermint oil helps.
We are Hilton Diamond members so we stay in Hiltons in most cities where we travel internationally. The Hilton Wangfujing is an amazing location near Chanel and Louis Vuitton. The room was large, with nice furnishings, large tub, walk in shower and the most amazing closet of any hotel room I have ever stayed. What made it even better was the price was less than $150 a night.
We were greeted bright and early the following morning by the best tour guide in Beijing, Marie. Mariasang@aliyun.com
She and our driver drove us approximately 2 and a half hours outside of Beijing to an area of the Great Wall that was completely desolate. Other than tour guides in training, we didn’t see any other tourist. It was as though it was our own private tour. The sky was pure blue. The air was clean and pure. We walked up the wall and down to an area by the water. In the warmer months, you could take a speed boat across the lake. However, being late February, the lake was too frozen for boat travel.
WikiBeijing Or Tibetan Hot Spring Spa Experience and Huanghuacheng Great Wall Visit
Next we drove approximate 45 minutes to tour the Ming Tombs. The majestic statues on the pathway lead to a large open rotunda with a massive turtle statue. You could make a donation to make a wish noted on a red tag.
For lunch, we visited the Auspicious Business Hotel restaurant for an authentic local dining experience including local dancers and art presentations.
Lastly, we arrived at the Chun Hui Yuan Hot Spring Resort for a relaxing spa experience including a picturesque koi fish pond, fish who give you a pedicure nipping at your heels and toes, natural hot springs seasoned with different herbs, finalized with a couples massage. The fish eating pedicure was one of the most bizarre experiences of my life. I am a regular pedicure girl, every two weeks. But feeling fish nip at your toes and heels was such an odd sensation I could NOT sustain leaving my feet in the water.
What to Pack for Beijing
We purchased Face Masks, in case pollution is high. We were told the normal masks will not be able to filter the pollutants. It is important to wear a 3m mask. The thing about the pollutants in the smog is that the nano particles will stay in the lungs once it is breathed in and they cannot be flushed out. The concern is that longer term.the pollutants are carcinogenic and may mutate. This is why it is important to wear a mask. Don’t let me scare you. I am just trying to explain why wearing a mask is important.
Peppermint oil will help with jet lag, ease tension at the onset of a migraine and is great to use when the smell of the pollution begins to make you nauseous.
I recommend SNEAKERS for walking Great Wall. I’m so in love with my new Adidas Stan Smiths. and I love my black air boosts when I wear black jeans.
