Vacation time already??? Yep. Beijing!

Flying out of Hong Qiao airport was not so different from flying out of an American airport; however, the flight itself, being only 2 1/2 hours, included a full meal!  So much for the pretzels we have to beg for on a long flight in the States...   Of course, I didn't really love the meal, but that's not the point.

Upon arrival at the airport in Beijing (pronounced Bay-Jing - with a hard 'j'), Shannon and I made our way to the baggage claim with no problems and retrieved our matching suitcases (well, different only in color).  (Our similarities make for great traveling companions!)

We proceeded toward the exit to look for any sign that might be held up with our names on it.  We looked around for several minutes and finally met Steven, our English-speaking guide.  He was very friendly and helped us with our bags as we went out to our private car; there we met Johnson, our jolly and witty driver.  

The two gentlemen were very complimentary of the little Chinese that Shannon and I speak; words and phrases we have learned out of necessity for getting around town in taxis, etc.  So, taking advantage of opportunity, as we are wont to do, Shannon and I flooded Steven with questions on Chinese phrases that we were still lacking but needing.  (It gets a bit humiliating to keep blowing air at people when we really just want to ask them to turn on the A/C.)  Steven was very accommodating, and Johnson smiled in appreciation of our efforts.

Our first stop was a restaurant most famous for its Peking Duck.  The special meal that awaited us began with several small side dishes (chicken, beef, vegetables, rice) being served one after another until finally the duck arrived.  It was to be eaten in a pancake type wrap with a special sauce and shallots.  I must admit it was quite tasty, with and without the sauce.  Our chop sticks skills were not anything to write home about, other than to say we made the effort and didn't go hungry.  

The ambience was nice, minus one gentleman who felt inclined to wear what were quite obviously pajamas and slippers to dine.  

Following the meal, Steven and Johnson dropped us back at the Courtyard Marriott, where we watched downloaded episodes of True Blood, checked our Facebook and Gmail accounts, and enjoyed a good night's rest.

However, I cannot end the story of our first night's stay here; it must be said that we had quite the time trying to figure out how to make the lights in our hotel room stay on!  After pressing various buttons and getting shut in complete darkness, we finally determined that our room key needed to remain in a slot near the door for our electricity to work at our command.  :)