We made it! What a great time we all had. The trip started out a little rough with Molly teething and being very fussy the first day. But a little Tylenol and some sleep made for a great second and third day. We could not have asked for better weather. It was very windy the first day, but still mild. Wednesday and Thursday were very ideal. It really was an amazing trip we will never forget.
The first day we visited the Forbidden City, had a rickshaw tour of the hutongs (ancient courtyard homes), and saw Tian An Men Square. The second day we saw the Ming Tomb, and Sacred Path and saw the Great Wall. Finally, on the third day we visited the Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace. While at the Summer Palace, we took a dragon boat ride across the lake. Then headed towards the airport. On our way there we drove by the Olympic buildings. I will put more pictures and details about each place in a separate post.
For now, here are some interesting facts about our trip:
*We had a private tour guide named Bruce Lee. Just a coincidence and no relation to the martial arts star.
*During our tour of the hutongs we met with a woman who answered questions about the homes. Hanging in her "dining room" was a Detroit Red Wing McCarty jersey. Apparently it was a gift given to her by another visitor on a recent tour.
*The road we took to get to the Great Wall will be used for the bicycle race for the 2008 Olympics. It is currently under construction. We literally followed behind the bulldozer as it tore up the road to be repaved. It made for a bumpy ride as well as a humorous memory.
*We took a gondola ride to the top of the wall. Much easier than having to climb hundreds of steps. Although even when we got to the top, there were plenty of stairs to climb.
*The Great Wall is positioned on top of a HUGE mountain range. Even with all of those mountains, the Chinese still felt the need to build the massive structure, and even then they were defeated.
*Chuck called Mark on the cell phone when we were on top of the Great Wall of China....and it went through.
*Not all Chinese McDonald's are that bad. Once you've eaten mediocre Chinese food for lunch each day (including fish that was still looking at us) and pizza at night made with sweet and sour sauce, a fish sandwich and some chicken nuggets hit the spot.
*Beijing is an amazing city. Ancient structures surrounded by tall modern buildings. It is wonderful that they have been able to preserve so much of their history while working towards the future.
*The city has done a lot to prepare for the upcoming Olympics. It is very easy to see where they have cleaned up properly and where they have swept some of the dirt under the rug to deal with at another time...maybe.
*On our way back from seeing the Great Wall we had to stop on the highway to let a herd of cows pass through.
*Nancy & Chuck stood on the "Center of the Universe" while visiting the Temple of Heaven.
*Many people were at the Temple of Heaven doing their morning exercises such as Thai Chi, badminton, and more. Nancy got into the act and joined a group of locals for a few minutes. We also heard a group of locals singing in Chinese to the tune of "Silent Night".
...stay tuned for more pictures and details of the trip.
No comments:
Post a Comment