Beijing: April 6th

Saturday, April 6th

After finally getting to bed around 10:30pm last night before...we were wide awake at 5:00am today.  But we did feel well rested, so not too bad in regards to jet lag.  Around 7:00am we headed down to breakfast.  First we stopped in the lobby and we were able to get through with Face Time to the kids back home.  It was great to see their faces!  But emotional too...as it is hard to believe we are actually half a world away from them.

After breakfast we headed off with our guide for some sightseeing.  Traffic was terrible due to the holiday and it took us 2 hours to get from our hotel to the Great Wall.  On the way we passed many of the stadiums and buildings from the 2008 Olympics...and some other interesting things:

 

In front of the hotel and our van

 





The Great Wall:

 

 

 

 

 Some steps were 2 inches apart and others were 14 inches apart...and very uneven:

 

Taking a break

 

The view from the top was so worth the effort to make it there!

 

 

The Wall is lined with a chain link that is filled with engraved locks.  There is a story that once a newly married couple engraved a lock with their names and placed it at the Great Wall, then threw the key away symbolizing that their love was forever and could never be broken.

We placed locks on the Wall for Audra and Charlotte...

symbolizing that our love for them is forever and can never be broken! 

And a piece of them will always remain in China.

 

 

 Their locks are located on the bar of the second to last window opening on the left,

on the second flat walkway from the right side entrance...forever and ever!

 

 

The Summer Palace:

In the evening we met our agency's in-country rep, Ms. Li.  She wanted to take us out for the famous Peking Duck dinner, but due to the current bird flu in China she made other plans.  Instead we went out for an authentic Chinese hot pot dinner.  We sat at a counter with a boiling pot of water in front of each of us.  Then they bring all your food out raw and you cook it yourself in the boiling water.  We had lamb, vegetables, noodles, potatoes, lotus. 

 

 

After dinner Ms. Li walked us around famous Wang Fu Jing Street, which is quite similar to Times Square...lots of tall building with bright signs and lights.  She had us try a very yummy treat...small fruit similar to apples on a stick with a thick sugary coating.

 

Lucky for us she did not ask us to try this "treat"...

Scorpions, seahorses and starfish on a stick!