Touring Beijing

From Hope & Scott:

Okay all. Still tired. Still no sleep. I think maybe last night we got 4 hours because we got up and had breakfast and went to see the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. Along with the Cloisonne factory. Along with an semi-American/Chinese lunch – needless to say, our little group that we were with today are still REALLY hungry. We met a couple and their two boys from Clinton, Kentucky and they are getting a girl the same age as Izabella so they will be traveling along with 4 other families. Scott is crashed in the bed right now. We have to be up at 4:30 am in the morning it is currently 7 pm now so once again short please forgive me if I slur my typing. So here is what has happened so far…

We left at 8:00 am to go to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. It was a lot of walking but we had a great time! One thing that has been really weird is that 3 or 4 people came up to me because they wanted their picture made with me. I am told it is the blonde hair – so I feel like a celebrity. I’m not used to that. It has really cooled off and has been overcast and misty still humid, not unbearable!! We were in the bus a lot traveling and we are going on literally no sleep. At the Great Wall, we had 4 or 5 in our group that made it way way up. I got Izabella a tea set at the Great Wall Gift Shop and I cannot wait for the day that I will give it to her! The money is weird. They do not have coins it is all paper but for those waiting to travel, print off the conversion chart, it has helped us out a lot. In fact other have borrowed it because it is hard to do it in your head! I am also glad I brought the Sharpie and hot pink Duck Tape because we all had to use it to mark out luggage for our BIG TRIP tomorrow. So we are up at 4:30 am to get to the airport and will be off to Chongqing to get our sweet girl. I had a melt down on the bus today on the way to lunch wondering how they were preparing her for the trip and how she has no idea how her life will change tomorrow forever!! And, how happy she is going to make us and we hope to make her just as happy. Sorry picture today are boring but I promise to have more exciting ones tomorrow!! I must go now so I can pack to leave for our next big adventure – parenthood!!

I haven't received any photos from Hope and Scott yet so I'm improvising for your entertainment. Here are some photos of the places they were!!! ~Stephe

The Forbidden City, built in 1421 during the Ming Dynasty,is a linear series of buildings (halls) facing south, you walk through one and come out in the courtyard of the next. They seem to go on forever.

The Great Wall extends 2,480 miles from the East China Sea to Central Asia. We climbed a long, steep flight of steps to one of the numerous towers that dot its length. The area immediately below the section that we visited is thronged with shops, stalls, and vendors - every bit as touristy as it would be in the U.S.

In the Cloisonne Factory you would expect to see workers applying the tiny wires that form the designs with tweezers and then filling them in with enamel. One could have easily spent half a day in the showroom and purhase lots of gorgeous items!