Day 2 in Beijing

First off thanks for leaving some comments for us, we're so glad people are enjoying our adventure of a lifetime!  We just returned to the hotel from another day of sight seeing.

We left right away for The Great Wall at 8:30 this morning.  On the way we stopped at a Jade Factory.  Who knew there were several colors of jade, I didn't!  This stop was just like the silk factory yesterday.  Its a state or government run operation so all the prices are set, no bargaining, but its the highest of quality merchandise.  They had some sculptures made from one piece of jade that were enormous and priceless.  One was an eagle and another is a big sailing vessel that took over 3 years to be carved.  We bought some things that we can give Laine as future gifts.

Then it was on to the Great Wall.  It was only a little more than an hour drive from Beijing.  The wall stretches for over 4000 miles.  I didn't know it is not continuous, there are breaks in valleys and other locations.  I also didn't realize how steep it would be!  The mountains that held this portion of the wall just suddenly pop up out of know where.  Beijing sits in a large plain at the base of the mountain range. And the wall was originally built to keep the mongols from coming into this great plain area where food can be grown in abundance.  We started walking up a portion, and oh my its an adventure.  Some steps are small while the next is 2 feet high.  Some times the railing is so low its below your knee, other times it above your waist.  Many of the stones are so old they have ruts warn in them from all the traffic on them.  Any idea how long it takes to wear ruts in solid rock with shoes!? That just shows the age.  It was still cold today, just below freezing and the haze kept the sun from really coming out, but the views were still pretty breathtaking.  I just can't imagine the skill it took to build the wall with hand tools and horses.  You can see the linear cuts in near by mountains that the rocks for the wall were mined from.  Our guide said that as each new dynasty took over they had the wall built higher on top of the previous dynasty to show they were more powerful.   We did take the present one of my football buddies, Chuck, was so kind to send in the Steelers terrible toddler towel.  Hopefully we don't have a terror for a toddler, but it was fun.  I'll be sure to include that picture.  We also wore our Blue Jackets jerseys too, the extra layer helped stay warm and carry on our tradition we started on our honeymoon.

 

The next stop was for lunch, kind of a tourist trap, there must have been 60 to 70 tour buses at this restaurant and souvenir shop.  Its the second day in a row we had a great lunch.  Our guide orders ahead for us so we sit down at two tables with a big lazy susan in the middle and suddenly girls keep running up with more Chinese dishes.  From sweet and sour chicken to roast duck and fish to dumplings and noodles.  They must have given us 12 different dishes.  We just keep spinning the wheel in the middle and take what you want to try.  For the two days of tours which include a tour bus, two lunches all admissions we paid 810 yuan or $120.  A pretty good bargain. 

 

We were supposed to go to the Ming tombs too, but we have to leave for the airport at 5am tomorrow so we cut things short and stopped by the Olympic Green on the way back.  Its still packed with tourists and vendors trying to sell everything from kites to mittens and stone carvings.  The birds nest stadium is very impressive.  We all saw the pictures from the Olympics but it didn't do the sheer size justice.  I want to compare it to the Super Dome which I've been to a few times and there is just no comparison.  I'm curious to see how it matches with the new Dallas Cowboys stadium.  A large sidewalk  stretches for as far as you can see between the birds nest and the water cube next door.  And the national stadium which held the gymnastics events is right next to that.  There were thousands of people there today doing just what we were.   I'm going to try posting a video here in a minute to youtube or something to show you.  Christina and some of the other soon to be moms are down the street at the night market right now.  I guess you can by wild things there like scorpion on a stick for a snack!  Our guide said  it makes great photos just do not eat anything!

 

Tonight we have to repack and get some sleep and have our luggage ready at 4:30am.  We have a quick hour and a half flight to Zhengzhou where we will meet Laine on Monday!