Wednesday,
December 6, 2006
Our day began at around 3:00 am. I can tell that it will take us
another day or two for us to fully adjust to the time change.
Before heading out for the day, we had the buffet breakfast that
was complimentary at the hotel. It was a phenomenal breakfast. A
nice combination of American and Chinese dishes, with the Chef
willing to make any omelet combination that I could think of.
After breakfast, we met with our wonderful guide Tom, who picked
us up and took us on a daylong tour beginning at Tian An Men
Square.
From there, we were able to take a tunnel under the Second Ring
Road and enter the Forbidden City.
As we walked into and through the series of nine gates, we were
awestruck at the massive size of the City and the beauty of the
architecture. While we were not able to enter any of the temples
or houses, we were able to look into many of them and see the
original lanterns, tapestries, and furniture and even the
bedrooms of the emperor, all dating back to the 1400’s.
We took a break to unthaw (temperature is hovering around 32F).
Tom took us to a local noodle house for lunch. The Beijing
Noodle House was packed and LOUD. We came in and sat down at a
simple wood table with benches. We ordered a variety of chicken,
beef, and pork dishes, all served with noodles and rice. Tim
tried the local Beijing beer, which was excellent as well.
We walked from there to the Beijing silk factory, which was only
a few blocks away. We were able to see them pull silk directly
from cocoons and create thread for all the silk clothing and
bedding that they make right there. They sell everything from
silk rugs to silk quilts and suits. They can actually fit a
person to a three-piece suit and have it tailored and delivered
to you the next day!
Tammy bought a beautiful quilt and duvet for Grace’s bed,
another for ours and Tim found a dress shirt. The quality of
these is incredible and they were able to compress and pack
these so that they travel well with us.
No time to stop. We then made our way to the Summer Palace,
which is located 20 miles from the Forbidden City. The Summer
Palace includes a large lake and 3 islands that were created by
the request of the emperor.
We finished the day by going to a local theatre and watching the
popular Acrobatic Show. It was a nice way to unwind and finish
off the day.
Tomorrow we meet another adoptive family and head to the Great
Wall for another day of sightseeing before we fly to Hong Kong
and meet our travel group and officially the adoption process.
Only a couple of days until we hold Grace!! |
Tian An Men Square
South Gate of the Forbidden City
Beijing Noodle House |
