Beijing, Day 2

Today was another great day. Our guide Charlotte is really taking great care of us. We left this morning and drove to the Jade Factory, where we got our own private tour of the place, along with our own private sales women!! Boy, these people are good. Of course Carolyn and I had to buy something.

After that, we continued on to the Great Wall. WOW, what a place!! Super crowded, because it's the last day of the Chinese New Year, so the first section of the Wall was hard to climb. It's actually quite steep, and you get a nice little workout going up. All the steps are uneven, so you also have to be careful not to trip. Car and I continued on and on - she was quite the trooper - and we made it to the top of this particular section. Of course, the further we climbed, the fewer people there were.

When you're up on the Wall, you truly get a sense of awe! How did these people build such a majestic structure so long ago? And it goes on and on and on. You can see in these pictures that the air quality is quite bad. The haze is quite evident, and a lot of people choose to wear masks over their faces.

Funny translation!! Speaking of translating, it's very cute how parents encourage their younger children to practice their English with us. Today, I spoke to at least three young girls, all of whom asked me what my favorite food is - almost like they're reading it from a text book. Very fun!

After the Wall, we drove by the Olympic Village. That Bird's Nest and the Water Cube is something else!! All of that area used to be farm land, and has been sitting empty since the Special Olympics were completed in September. It's now one of Beijing's major toursit attractions.

Then we got to participate in a tea ceremony. Did you know that China has over 300 types of teas? And in China, tea is bought raw, only in a tea house. All the bad tea ends up in tea bags. Hmmm - I think I've done it wrong all these years.

Our next stop was Tian'anmen Square, a place that can pack 1 million people. It's not only considered the center of Beijing, but also the center of China. It leads up to the Forbidden Palace, and also contains Chairman Mao's Mausoleum. We didn't get to see Chairman Mao, but it's constructed much like Ho Chi Min's Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam. Apparently, the now pickled body of Mao is lowered into a freezer every night.

After that we went to the Silk Market, where Carolyn gave the vendors a run for their money as she bargained alongside the best of them!! They didn't know what hit them! :) And to end this long day, we went to a Chinese Acrobat show.

Now we are packed once more, and leavng tomorrow morning for Chongqing. It's a short flight - about 1 1/2 hours. We'll be met by another guide, Michael, who will not neccessarily be a travel guide, but rather will focus on helping the adoption process along. Now we'll get to the REAL reason we're here!!

I love the fact that you all are reading the blog! It's fun to stay connected with you this way!! Stay tuned for more news from China, and let me know what you think.

Hugs to all.