Adventures in South Korea!: Lunar New Year

Last year for the Chinese New Year (early February) we celebrated by going skiing. This year, we managed to celebrate a little more appropriately, with a trip to Beijing and Hong Kong.

Playing with the camera in the bathroom upon arrival

Our Taxi Driver

Look at that nail shine in the afternoon sun!

We're in China!

Cash

In the [sketchy] alley maze to our hostel

Despite the questionable approach, Kelly's Courtyard turned out to be a pretty awesome place to stay. We booked it because of it's central location, and were more than pleased with the facilities.

The Lobby and Courtyard

The Chandelier

View of the courtyard from our door

Looking into our room.
That huge window is the bathroom...

Standing in the shower/sitting on the can

Our window/wall

Kelly's Courtyard didn't offer much privacy, no, but it's charm more than made up for that.

Our bedroom lock

Laundry day? Garage Sale?

These firework warning posters were all over the city

Heaven

Year of the Rabbit!

Street Snacks

These were really strange. They looked like a cross between a cherry and a crab apple, but they were really light and fluffy inside, minus the pits. We have no idea what fruit it was, but it was pretty delicious.

B. A. Baracus has left the A-Team and clearly joined the Chinese police force!

中山公园/中山公園
Zhongshan Park

Judy mimicking Sun Yat-Sen

Let's see you mimic this statue's pose...

Freezing self-timer

Us in front of the stone archway erected by the Chinese government to commemorate Baron von Kettler who was killed during the Yihetuan Movement in 1900.

Tiananmen Gate
The entrance to the Forbidden City

Sadly, this was as close as we came to the Forbidden City because, like most things in Beijing, it was running on holiday hours, so it was never open at a time that we were available.

Winterizing

The fireworks begin!

Pre-dinner snacks:
(beautifully displayed on our elegant bedspread)

Flavor: Steak

Flavor: Kimchi

FABULOUS
Fragrant crispy entry
Flavor: Vegetables

Intense & Stimulating
Flavor: Hot & Sour Fish Soup Flavor

100% Choice Happiness
Convenient
Flavor: Unknown

It seems the Kinder Bueno is readily available in every country but Korea and the US...

Bomb (literally)

Imagine walking up to a gas station, putting your lips around the pump and squeezing the handle... That's how Chinese liquor tastes.

Judy, doing what she does best, searched Beijing food blogs and found a restaurant for us to try, but being the New Year, it ended up not being open. A little sad, we asked the hostel owners for a recommendation and they pointed us to a Chinese restaurant a few blocks away.