Beijing Day 2

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Sorry I didn't post last night. We were so exhausted after our long day of touring that we all pretty much crashed when we got back to the hotel. I even feel asleep with my makeup on! I did wake up around midnight and got ready for bed, but now I am wide awake at 5:30am, so I guess I am adjusting a little better to the time.

Yesterday was extremely cool. First we had a really good breakfast at our hotel and then we were met by our wonderful guide, Michelle (Li Fung). We met the other couple in our group, Mark and Laura, who are great. We all bonded quickly.

Tiananmen Square: Wow! It is bigger than we ever imagined! It was cool to see the kids snapping pictures right and left.

Forbidden City: Ok, This was also bigger than we imagined and we didn't even see half of it! It was truly amazing and beautiful. Michelle has taught us so much about the history and culture of China. It is wonderful to see the kids so interested and asking a lot of questions.

After those 2 tours we had lunch at a local restaurant. It was actually really good. Yes, Even I enjoyed it!

We then went on a rickshaw tour of the Hutong area which is an area that is an older traditional way of living in China. We all enjoyed the tour and it made us appreciate our lifestyle at home. We were able to have tea with a local family and tour their home. He showed us his pet grasshoppers which were HUGE and he told us all about fighting crickets!

After our tour of Hutung, we walked around a small lake that it is actually an area for the young adults at night (aka lots of bars). We had a great time "people watching" and the weather was so beautiful that we just wanted to walk around and enjoy China.

We did see a beautiful BLUE sky most of the day and had a nice breeze.

Next on our list was the acrobat show which was amazing. We were not allowed to take pictures which was a bummer.

We also went to the silk factory and learned how they make the silk. It is a pretty amazing process and the silk items they had were gorgeous!
The Peking Duck restaurant was next on our list and everyone loved it…well most everyone. I "tried" a little but I figure one local Chinese meal a day was enough for me. We had a good time talking and getting to know each other while having a great dinner.
Next stop: BED!

Tomorrow we will visit the Great Wall.