Post in progress Filled with collector’s items, books, antiques, and all-things-Communist-Mao, this was a fabulous theme hotel. The building —and all the furnishings—date back to the period of Communist China, so the couch is creaky, the walls are thin, and the radiators keep the room nominally warm. The staff is excellent and one or two speak perfect English, but not the elder caretakers, so make sure you have your translator APP installed! I wish I had more time to peruse the multitude of books that overflow on the coffee table, hide the dust on the nightstand, and remain out of reach in a glass case above the door mantle. The ceilings are exceptionally high and formed by solid columns of beautiful, dark-stained timber. The stone lining the bathroom walls and floor seem Paleolithic in their shiny roughness. It takes 5 minutes for hot water to weakly stream from the sink tap late at night, but the shower has good pressure and the water warms quicker in the morning and during the day. I have only two suggestions for the managers and owner: provide tissues in the bedroom and better quality slippers. All hotels in China offer disposable slippers made of cloth; the better quality the hotel, the better the slippers of course. But this is not a cheap hotel, albeit an old build, theme-style guesthouse. But these slippers are of the poorest-quality paper and cardboard, which is ridiculous and uncomfortable on the cold hard timber and stone floors ins the rooms. Overall an absolutely charming 5-room guesthouse down a lovely hutong, a few kilometres east of the Forbidden City. I highly recommend staying here for a few days to enjoy the history and culture of the Red Capital. What is a “Red Princess”? More on the owner and scholar of the Red Capital Residence. Red Capital Residence info: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/china/beijing/hotels/red-capital-residence/a/lod/bc5307ba-8239-4417-96ff-d01f40e25878/355905 Post in progress! Yeah, it's that awesome!! China's High Speed Train (HST or Bullet Train) is pretty dang nice! Well, at least Business Class seating is -- no surprise. Once again, a country in Asia has surpassed the US in almost every way technologically and especially in ability to think forward. The trains are new, clean, and on time! Makes Amtrak look like a coal-run clunker from the 19th Century! To be fair, the slower trains are older and much less pristine and full of the "masses"... but riding the HST is definitely a treat. In fact, all I want to do now is take off on the train every weekend! The classes are somewhat reversed, as in First Class is actually less fancy than Business. Post in progress! Can't have Christmas without the local Chinese Santa, accompanied by Korean dinner with soju!
Post in progress I never would have thought that some of the most authentic Korean food I would get (outside of Korea) would be at a small chain with a Tibetan name, in Xi'an, Shaanxi, China! |
iGallivantGina The Great in the country of The Great Wall!
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