One thing I love about China tours are the lunch and dinner included in the package. I mean, China tours are by no means cheap [we had to pay a handsome sum of USD 420.00+ per person for a three-day tour and 6 days, 5 nights accommodation, which excludes the airfare and tips]. However, if you factor in the lunch and dinner they provide, plus refreshments at times, and the transportation, you'd realize that you don't have to spend for anything during the trip. After all, the lunch and dinner are so filling and delicious that you won't feel hunger pangs at any given time during the tour. And, since it isn't summer, the need for water isn't that compelling. I couldn't remember a day when I had to drink water, tea or soda while on tour, except when dining.
For the first day of tour, we had lunch at Tai Yi Restaurant, and it was buffet! I wasn't hungry at all because we had buffet breakfast at the hotel, but well, I had to eat because we still have a long day ahead of us. The food was really yummy, especially the kung pao chicken (it was spicy but I ate a spoonful), and the sweet and sour pork.
We had a late lunch; and surprisingly, some of the westerners we saw at the Forbidden City come in to the restaurant after we did (they're part of a large tour group). Small world, eh. Good thing we got there first; the line at the buffet table suddenly got long.
This is where we ate, somewhere near this street: Xinjiangongmen Road, not too far away from the Summer Palace.
The restaurant has a huge lawn with trees...it was kinda romantic outside, really. Maybe because I love trees.
Right after lunch, we went to the Summer Palace. Yipee!
