I was super tired last night so I ended up going to bed before 9.  Woke up for a bit around 2 but managed to get back to sleep and slept until around 7:30.   Grabbed some breakfast in the hotel as it was included.   A pretty big buffet so I had some bacon, an egg, a croissant, some fried potatoes and fried rice ?.  Pretty decent for a hotel buffet breakfast.   After eating I got ready to head out to do some exploring before meeting the group tonight.   Took a photo of the view from my hotel room (Forbidden City is in the top right corner). Headed down towards the Temple of Heaven, stopping first to walk through a long narrow park.   Then headed east towards the Temple of Heaven area.   Ended up meandering through some hospital area before finally getting out to the main road.  Bought the ticket for the Temple of Heaven complex and wandered through.   A massive area with a few different structures to visit and lots of gardens and trees.   There was a massive forested area carpeted with lovely smelling purple flowers.   Took some pictures in there and headed on to the main structure.   Quite a few people but not oppressively crowded.  Stopped for a milk tea from the concession and relaxed under a tree for a bit.  Headed north out of the complex down a main road.   Then turned west and walked to Tiananmen Square.  Took a few photos but will be back there with the group later so didn’t spend to much time.  Stopped at the KFC just off the square to add it to my collection of foreign KFC experiences.  Had some kind of meal that came with mashed potatoes with gravy, a piece of chicken, two wings and an egg tart for dessert ?. Headed back towards the hotel and cut through some little area with gardens and what appeared to be old houses.  There was a lot of restoration and construction going on but I managed to get a couple photos.  Got back to the hotel and it appears I walked 17 km or so!  Took a shower and relaxed and then prepared to meet the group.  Had a beer in the lobby bar and waited for the group meeting.   Met the others but no formal introductions so trying to figure out everyone’s name still.   We went to a restaurant for our briefing and for Peking duck dinner.   Started to feel tired from the long day so was kind of in a daze during dinner and less social than I should have been.   On the plus side though, I think everyone else was tired from their flights so no one likely noticed.  Off to bed now.  Tomorrow we start walking the wall and staying in homestays for 4 nights or so, so likely no blog updates until my return. 

Ordered the duck for lunch.   Was hungry by that time and the tuna appetizer was pretty good.   Air Canada apparently recently changed their menu and wine list so it was something new.   The duck was okay but maybe not the best option for an airplane.   The French pinot noir that they were offering was very drinkable though… almost too drinkable! After lunch took a bit of a nap.  Woke up and had a Kit Kat they had out.  Tried to take another nap but could smell some dim sum cooking and couldn’t sleep.    Slept for a bit more and had another snack.   We had to circle around Beijing for a bit (kind of turbulent) while they “changed the runways”.  A bit bumpy but we eventually landed.   Pretty quick going through immigration but the baggage claim was a train ride away! Got my luggage and headed out to look for my ride  – lots of people with signs and he seemed to show up after I stood there for a few minutes.   I was just about to check the materials and call when I spotted the sign.   A bit of traffic heading to the hotel so it seemed like a long ride.  The driver took me past Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden Palace on the way to the hotel.   Apparently he couldn’t make a left to the hotel though where he thought he could so he decided to pull a u-turn on the busy little street running beside the Forbidden Palace.  Surprisingly it didn’t take too long but I think the other drivers were a bit ticked.  Got to the hotel and checked in.   Settled into the room, which has a distant view of the Forbidden Palace.  Then headed out for a walk around the block and a drink in the hotel lobby bar.  Had a quick bite to eat at the hotel coffee shop and getting ready for bed.   Going to head to bed early as I’ve been up for a while and would like to do some sightseeing tomorrow.