We got to Beijing. The flight was uneventful, and I would fly Air China again. A much more pleasant trip than I expected in coach. It helps to fly with your spouse, so you don’t mind if the person in the next seat is landing against you. I’m glad I didn’t spend the extra thousands of dollars to fly business class.
I finally understand where we actually are. We’re staying at the Xiangyunlou Hotel about three kilometers north of the Forbidden City. No one here speaks English, and I don’t speak Chinese; but I’m learning fast and pointing a lot.
Despite being told about the complete lack of birds here, I’m pretty sure I’ve spotted at least five different species that are living in downtown Beijing. Two of them are not unexpected: House Sparrow and Rock Pigeon. Three of them I’m really not sure about yet. One common bird looks a lot like a grackle from what distant views I’ve gotten without binoculars. Maybe a Magpie? But it looks blacker than that. Anyway, they’re relatively common so I should know more soon.
Previous Topic
