Beijing Rocks

I was fortunate enough to be on Peter Greenberg’s radio show last Saturday and Pierre Wolfe’s “America’s Dining and Travel Guide" on Sunday. I was invited on these shows to discuss some of the great things that we have happening at 10Best and our plans for the future. Both of these guys asked me several questions about my favorite trips and places that I have traveled. I thought I would take a minute and blog on one of those favorites: Beijing, where I spent a few days last spring on a trip with the Society of International Business Fellow (SIBF).

China is a must-see place for anyone that has an interest in Asia - or international business in general. If you’re traveling to China then you have to see Beijing, which will host the 2008 Olympics. If you can get past the sore throat and burning eyes from the unbelievable smog and pollution you will experience a fantastic city. The food is incredible - from spicy delicacies in the streets to fabulous high end cuisines from around the world in Beijing’s many amazing restaurants.

Also, if you come this far, don’t miss the Great Wall. I’m told you can’t really see it from space that’s just what they tell the tourists, which surprised me until I saw it and realized that if you can’t see an eight-lane modern interstate from space, then you probably can’t see a 30 foot wide wall either. The people of Beijing and China are very friendly and many speak reasonable English which makes the everyday tasks of travel quite easy. If you have the time and budget, head for Beijing - but be sure to get your travel visa first (which is good for 90 days and cost under $100.00).

Amsterdam for my birthday!

Landed in Amsterdam Tuesday around noon. We took the train from Schiphol to Central Station and then the wrong tram to our hotel. We got off the tram and instead walked to the Pulitzer Hotel on the Prinsengracht, which was hot as hell. As we walked we noticed that the streets were heaped with trash: mounds of beer cans, garbage of all kinds, and (oddly) lots of broken yard sale items. I have been to Amsterdam a few times and found the city to be quite clean and well-maintained, so I couldn’t help but to inquire as we passed a very pleasant old woman cleaning up in front of her apartment. I asked whether there had been a riot; she quickly said with a smile that no, it had been “Queens day yesterday and the party was great.” The final leg of the trip went well—a few productive meetings, wonderful weather, good food, and an on-time departure for home!

Zurich

Arrived around 4:00pm and took the train to the central station and the number 4 tram out to our hotel. Rod and I met up with Michael Q, our COO at 10Best, for our meetings in Zurich. Stayed at the Hotel Senator, which is rated four star, but it would probably be a 2 or 3 star in most cities. It’s clean and cheap—and in Zurich “cheap” is almost impossible to find anywhere near the city center. We enjoyed some fantastic meals in Zurich, including some great northern Italian at Dialog, and a nice French meal at LIP (a favorite with many locals and business travelers). Lip has a cool bar—it’s about 10 floors above the restaurant in an old observatory. After completing our business meetings, Michael and I left for Amsterdam early Tuesday morning while Rod headed back to the USA.