Rickshaw Tour of the Hutong - Beijing

I recently wrote some reviews of the services I used on my trip to China. You can see all of them by clicking on the China category over there on the right >>>

Today I wanted to write about an amazing experience we had there, and I'm hoping to mix posts like this in with my reviews. Traveling isn't just about booking your trip with the right travel agency or staying in the right hotel. It's about experiencing cultures, food, and people!

One of the activities that was included with our tour package was a rickshaw tour of the hutong. I don't know the name of the company we used since I didn't book it myself, but if you're interested in doing something similar (and you should!), just do an internet search for "rickshaw tour of hutong" and you'll be able to find it.

We rode through the streets in this rickshaw which was pulled by a man on a bike. The hutong is an older area of Beijing where the streets are less than nine steps across. With roads that narrow, transportation is either a bike or your feet.

We stopped at this woman's house, and she cooked us a traditional meal for lunch. It was delicious! She didn't speak English, but our guide translated for us. She was so sweet and funny, and it was such a fun afternoon.

You can see most of her home in this picture. She lives here with her husband and 15 year old son, and this room is the living room and her son's bedroom. To the right is the bedroom she shares with her husband. In the very front of the picture you can kind of see the edge of a doorway into the kitchen, and that is her entire home. She had set up these two tables to make room for us, but normally there would be a little bit more open space.

Standing at the front door looking out, this is the courtyard her family shares with several other families. In the hutong, a group of houses like this will have a single door coming in off the road, and each house faces the center courtyard. There is also a single bathroom that is shared by all the houses. There is a great sense of family among the people. Because of its location on the Dragon Line, a home here costs more than if they were to live in an apartment with a bathroom in other areas of the city.

One of my favorite things about traveling is seeing how other people live. I mentioned in my review of smarTours that having local guides who told us about their lives was fascinating to me, and this tour of the hutong added even more depth to our cultural exposure in China. With our guides, we heard stories about their lives and that was wonderful, but sitting in someone's home we got to see it as well. I left there feeling grateful for her generosity and amazed by a culture so different than my own.

If you're visiting Beijing and you're looking for a unique experience that is fun and educational and something you'll never do at home, I recommend this tour completely. It was unforgettable!

#rickshaw #hutong #Beijing

Luxor

A few months ago, I went to Las Vegas for a conference. I grew up there, and it was kind of fun to spend a few days there as a tourist! I stayed at the Luxor.

Visit their website

My room

I loved the pyramid shaped soap in the bathroom!

Hotel lobby

Looking down at the mezzanine level from the 14th floor where my room was


I went to Vegas expecting everything I own to come back smelling like cigarette smoke, because that's what I remember from the few times I went into a casino as a kid. It's been about 15 years since I graduated from high school and moved away, and I guess in that time they figured out a more effective way of filtering the smoke. None of my stuff smelled bad at all, which was definitely a pleasant surprise.

My room was spacious and clean, and the bed was decent. My biggest complaint was the pillows. They were too thick and firm for me (I like to sleep on my stomach and need smaller pillows so my neck isn't bent backwards when I lay down). As a result, I did not sleep well there at all. I didn't ask for something different though, so I'm not sure if they would have had an alternative. Since I didn't give them a chance to help, I'll just say it wasn't my personal preference and leave it at that.

Complaint #2 is an odd one to me. I hated the shower, and this one wasn't just personal taste. The shower head sprayed the water out so hard that it hurt when it hit my skin, and there was no way to change it. It was also really low on the wall, and I had to bend my knees and lean backwards to get the top of my head wet. I'm 5'7", so it was very strange. Definitely something to think about if you're tall and/or interested in getting your whole body wet in the shower.

Other than that, I was happy at the Luxor. I specifically booked my room there because the conference was next door at Mandalay Bay which was sold out, so as far as location goes, it was good for my needs. If you're looking for luxury, this probably isn't the best choice, but if you want an inexpensive option close to the Vegas action, the Luxor could be something to consider. Check around though. There are always hotel deals to be found in Vegas!

#Luxor #LasVegas

Grand Oasis Cancun

A few years ago my family went to Cancun and stayed for a week at the Grand Oasis Cancun, an all-inclusive resort.

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This incredible resort was right on a beautiful beach and had every amenity we could have wanted.


The hotel lobby is stunning. It felt like walking into the rain forest.




A level below the lobby is a beautiful garden, as well as a spa and a business office. To this day, the massage I had at that spa was the best I've ever had. In the office, you can get help booking any activity you want. We took full advantage of this service and booked several amazing activities there. It couldn't have been easier!


We had a few rooms for all of our family, and this was mine. It wasn't the most luxurious room I've stayed in, but all we did was sleep there and it was just fine for that.


The tap water was gross, but the resort provided plenty of bottled water to drink, so showering in it was the only issue. The water had a weird smell too, but we never felt dirty or smelled bad after showering in it. I imagine it's Cancun, not this resort specifically, that has questionable water.


In this picture, you can see one of the resort pools, the ocean in the distance, and a little bit of the building we stayed in on the left. It was a perfect tropical paradise.


We loved the location of this resort. There is a bus stop nearby and we were able to get everywhere we needed to go with a short 2-3 minute walk to the bus. We ate all but one of our meals at the resort and were happy with all of them, but be careful if you're eating outside at dusk. We got eaten alive by mosquitoes! Take your own insect repellent. They sell it at the gift shop, but it's pricey. We also took advantage of some of the family-friendly evening entertainment, and it was fun and worthwhile. I've read some other reviews that were critical of the spring break feeling there, but we were there in November so that wasn't an issue for us. Something to consider if you're traveling in the spring and want to avoid spring break partying.

We really couldn't have been happier with our time at the Grand Oasis Cancun and the whole trip in general, and I would recommend it. We were not ready to come home!

#GrandOasisCancun #Cancun