Since we landed in China around 6am and couldn’t check in to the hotel for a few hours our tour guide took us directly from the airport to the Beijing Zoo. Luckily, it was so early it was completely empty except for our group!
This is the entrance to the Panda exhibit.
The pandas are the cutest animals in the entire world. One of them was just sitting and eatin’ the entire time. I stood there watching him chomp, pick a new shoot, chomp some more, look at us, chomp… I die. Check out my instagram for a video of it.
Lunch in China I’m pretty familiar and comfortable with Chinese food. The Chinese restaurants I have been to near my house have the menus in Mandarin and a lot of traditional fare. So, the food isn’t ‘weird’ to me – it’s just exciting to try it from the source!
But, the squat toilet bathroom situation is a weird. Mostly because I’m not an expert at this game. SkinnyRunner please send me some tips on this.
After the zoo we checked into the hotel, did a quick 5 minute shower/wardrobe change and headed back out to make the most of our time.
Ben and I made friends with another couple on the trip and went to lunch with them. We had Dim Sum at a place recommended by our tour guide. We were the only tourists there and it was busy, so you know it’s good 
Braised Chinese kale with oyster sauce
Pork dumplings
Steamed pork bun
Shrimp and pork dumplings
That green tamale looking one is chicken in gluttonous rice. It was ah-mazing! It was actually similar to a tamale! It was chicken tucked in the middle of smashed rice and it was seasoned perfectly.
Peanut noodles. This was amazing too! A little spicy, a lot delicious.
After our bellies were happily full we headed to the Olympic Stadium “Bird’s Nest” via Subway.
It was freezing but a gorgeous day!
There was an awesome wall where the names of winners of the 2008 Olympics are engraved. 
On the way back we spotted this vendor selling some mystery food. It is a bunch of balls on a stick.
Any idea what this is all about?
It is actually sweet! It’s like small balls of fruit (with seeds) covered with a candy apple style shell and sesame seeds.
See ya later!
Question: Would you buy a mystery ball on a stick from a vendor?
(Disclaimer: This was part of the tour and I was very happy and excited to see the Pandas. But, I do have mixed feeling about zoos, especially after watching Black Fish. However, I’m not educated enough to address this topic right now.)
I think those toilets r a good idea now that I’ve just potty trained my daughter I’d rather her get awesome quad muscles squatting than her fingers all over a toilet! Not kidding. I always squat over public toilets without touching anyway.
That mysterious sweet thing is actually a very traditional snack in Beijing. It is quite famous since it really can be dated back to ancient China. It is a bunch of maybushes covered in melted sugar plus some toasted sesame seeds on top. It is so tasty with the very sweet(not sickly sweet though) on the outer shell and tangy and crunchy inside. Now you can find other versions of this sold, like strawberries or manderines covered in sugar. But the most traditional one is still my fav. By the way, Beijing has really good dim-sums to try and super affordable. 🙂 The shrimp dumplings and peanut noodles are my fav.
As i know,the panda is live in sichuan,but i have never been there before.
Hello from China! I am a teacher here and have eaten lots of balls on a stick- they are candified hawthorn berries. Yummy, huh 🙂 And the squatties are great, no joke. Especially if you experience a truly nasty one, I appreciate the fact that little to no skin ever touches any surfaces. Have a blast here!
Oh man. Italy was the same way. Hit or miss on the full restroom or the squat restroom. Yish. I am no good at the squat either…dammit. Thanks to Kendra for the lesson though!! Have a wonderful time and eat cautiously but deliciously! I’m so envious of your travels.
I definitely ate those balls (fruit?) on a stick! I also ate a lot of mystery meats while in China.
The bathrooms were no fun. Interestingly, the bathrooms on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru are the same!
Hahaha on the squat toilet! Just take it as what you do on runs outdoors when you need to use the bathroom.
Dim sum looks good! Did you try the “cheong fun”? It’s steamed rice noodles with a dough fritter wrapped in the middle with soy sauce.
After living in South East Asia for nearly a year, I prefer the squat toilets. Most of the time if you walk into a stall here with a regular toilet, there are foot prints on the seat. The people will stand on it just like a squat toilet! Haha! Either way, I’ve noticed here (Malaysia) all public restrooms smell horrible and are no where near clean. As for the street food…no way. I’ll eat local, but I need to know what it is FOR SURE! Enjoy your trip!
Ahh squatty potties, impossible when drunk! The food looks amazing!
Thanks for you the disclaimer! I do think, from what I have heard, is that there is some awesome panda preservation efforts going on in China, so maybe what you saw was part of it. Have fun!
I visited China several years ago with my family and when I first saw a toilet like that, I seriously thought it was missing! I told my dad the toilet was “out of order” ha
OH MY! Are all toilets in China like that? Seriously, it is tricky enough when you have to make a quick pit-stop on the side of a gravel road or edge of a field when needed–how on earth does one do that on a regular basis for, um, everything? Well on the bright-side–if you aren’t able to get any running in, you may get a good leg workout using the toilets!
Hope you have a fun & safe trip!
Oh, and I’m not sure on the mystery balls-maybe if there was a good description of it, I’d try it. Your lunch looks delicious though!
Dim Sum is DELICIOUS! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Looks like a fun trip so far
You bought Tanghulu. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanghulu
I didn’t try it when I was in China, but was curious about the taste. I’m not adventurous, so I didn’t try a lot of street food while there. 🙁
I can safely say I would not eat mystery balls on a stick but you go get after it!
I’m not sure I would buy weird balls from a stranger… 🙂 Were they good?
I would say the best thing to do is to borrow some of my toilet seat covers that my dad gave me for Christmas.
That, or just sit down cross legged on the floor and have yourself a grand ‘ol time.
Good disclaimer!
I love travel posts on blogs also, so, thanks!!!
Pandas have always freaked me out! I can say I am pretty scared of them ever since a horrible childhood incidence with a creepy robot panda toy with glowing green eyes my brother hide in my bed…Scary stuff!
My kids are from China and we just went back this summer on a heritage tour–Beijing, Xian, Chengdu and Guilin. It was awesome! Enjoy your trip and I look forward to living vicariously through you.
This looks like an awesome trip so far. Ive been to Hong Kong and the food was ah-mazing. All that food looks like what we had too. DELISH!
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I used to live in Japan and totally sucked at squatty potties. But their high-tech toilets are amazing! As for mystery food on a stick, I would NOT buy it if it was meat and I was in China. I prefer my dogs as pets, thank you. Also…”gluttonous” rice? You mean glutinous? Haha.
Yumm your Chinese lunch is making my mouth water!
All that food looks amazing!!!
The squatty potty is grossing me out. For real.
The rest looks like fun, though!! How long are you there?
Did you ever find out what it actually is?! I’m dying to know! lol
Good luck with the toilet situation I’m not sure I could get use to that!
If you see the locals eating it, I’d go for it!
You are brave. I’d buy them, but make someone else take the first bite 😉
OMG, all the dumplings and buns look so good!
How great that you get to visit China 😀
of course id get the mystery balls! duh!
HAVE FUN!!!
Have a great time! I probably would not go for the mystery ball on a stick!
What a jam packed day…and it’s only the 1st!!!…and yes I would probably try the balls – at least one bite anyways
i just watched black fish and it completely changed my outlook, as well. I’ve only been to the local zoo once to show my nieces, and always felt sad for the animals all cooped up.
hope you have a great time!!! i’d try everything on a stick, just to experience everything I could while I was there. I love trying new foods on vacay!
I lived in Taiwan for 3 months and this post made me miss it so much! I miss the food like crazy – it tastes so much better there. I LOVED trying all of the mystery things on all of the carts all over town. We had a favorite cart that sat in a shady back alley but had the BEST food in town. It was a little smelly most of the time, but I loved being there. I hope you have so much fun. I’m super curious to see how using a Groupon for travel turns out!
I lived in Taiwan too!!! Loved it there. The squatters get easier, just ahead your legs wide and check for splatter 😉 I am not a mystery eater at all. Have fun.
I definitely would try it if it wasn’t meat. Something about meat from street vendors is just a little too sketchy for me….!
My thoughts exactly. 🙂
Yes I love street food. I traveled to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia and basically everything I ate for months was from street vendors. P.S. I never one time got sick.
Oh my gosh so I lived in China for the summer a few years ago, and I just want to say that it makes me incredibly happy that you’re getting to experience it! The squatty potty is a little weird to get used to (especially if you’re traveling on the road and the public toilets don’t have any doors, which is weird, but nobody cares so it’s okay once you get used to it) but you will indeed get used to it. Then you’ll notice that many of the locals assume that squatting position to relax just like we would sit down on a park bench! Enjoy your time!
Ummm… the toilet situation would be enough to freak me out. Yikes. The food looks really good. My mouth was watering while I was looking at the photos.
Your dinner looked delicious!!!!
You are very brave! I wouldn’t buy mystery food from a vendor!
I’m sorry to say I’m not adventurous when it comes to trying new foods. That’s my biggeat fear about traveling to foreign countries. Not the language, getting lost, people, etc…..but the food. I might starve.
However, I’ve always wanted to go to China! The Great Wall! The Squat Toilets! One day ill go… 🙂
Enjoy your trip!
Sounds like an amazing Trip!!!
Omg have so much fun on your trip!!!!!!
Unless it not chestnuts on a stick? I saw something similar in journal article about China. Probably, I am mistaken 😉 I never tried exotic food (whether can be considered land as this type of food? ) . Anyway, I surely would try everything!
You’re in China?! AMAZING! Have fun!
I think I would try it! It looks delicious! The pandas are so so adorable!
I just watched Black Fish and have a completely different outlook right now too. I was curious if Ben went on the trip with you. Hope you have a blast!
I think I’d pass on the mystery… could have been mystery meat… not my cup of tea!
bahah I’m honestly not sure I would get mystery balls on a stick… but props to you for doing it! 🙂
I would love to try a new food from a different culture! As long as it doesn’t have eyes, I’m good! I bet seeing Pandas was a really awesome experience. Looks like fun! And Looks like Ben is loving it too!
If if I was in China I would try it, if I was in the USA, I would not even think about it! 🙂 Have a great trip! I love looking at all the pictures and places!
My husband goes to China for business every year, but all of his pictures have tons of people in the background. How in the world did you get China all to yourselves? He said I would like Japan better than China, but I would love to see the Great Wall. Looks fun, even the toilet.
When I was a kid my Dad took a business trip to Japan. He came back and showed me photos of their toiled and my mind was totally blown.
Great photographs! The panda looks so cute and food delicious! x
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the food from the restaurant looks amazing! It is great to see a picture of Ben again! (waves at Ben)
Yes. Yes I would. Looks delish!
Looks like you’re having a blast already!
Have fun!