A Honeymoon in Asia - Beijing

Finally 1 year later we went on our honeymoon to Japan and Korea.  Beijing was never on the docket but due to Air China being the worst we had to spend a night in my old stompin' grounds, Beijing.  Air China screwed us many times on this trip starting months before we even left.  They cancelled our original flight out of JFK (offered free cancellation and refund) so we had to scramble to find another flight that cost more and now flew out of Newark (a much more painful airport to get to).  Cars to EWR cost too much so we took public transport, only to get to penn station to find that the NJ Transit was shut down because of a derailment minutes before.  After getting to the airport via PATH train and car service (costing us more) our flight was delayed 45 min and they acted like nothing happened.  Our flight schedule had a 2 hr layover in Beijing and then a flight to Osaka, Japan so the 45 min delay started to make us sweat.  Eventually our flight was delayed 2 hours!!!!! and of course we missed our connecting flight forcing us to go through the gauntlet of excessive steps.  Oh and you're not allowed to use your phones on Chinese flights anymore, you can even go to jail or get fined (Washpost article on it).  They gave all of us a hotel out by the airport and I contacted Zizzo so we could meet for dinner.  They tried to make it difficult to leave the hotel but we got a taxi and hi tailed it out of there, exhausted and sleep deprived.

zha jiang mian

black rice formed to look like one of those coals old school (and some peeps still) peeps in Beijing used to heat their houses.  Of course they set it on fire.

blood soup and various other yummy stuff.

that time of year to burn money for your dead relatives.

our taxi driver's dinners lined up in the back.

Zizzo took us to a new craft beer place, Peiping Machine.  They made it up really nice and had some good brews.  Craft Beer has arrived in China, but at $6 USD a pint, it's for the middle/upper class.

Zizzo was my roommates bf when I lived in Beijing.  He was always there even though he grew up and lived just down the street.

just a dog wearing armor.  Actually we passed this bar or establishment or just someone's house who leaves it wide open with a guy dressed in post apocalyptic armor and this was his dog.

Fangjia Hutong, Peiping Machine tap house is down there.

medicine shop at the airport.  We were screwed by Air China again because we didn't get any sleep, had to wake up at 5am to get the morning flight and were stressed out.

Well so long Beijing, It was nice to see you for a few hours even though I didn't want to.  We'll probably have to see you again for another night on the way back when Air china screws us again.