Wow, what a day we had. We started out at Tiananmen Square and The Forbidden City. The square was surrounded by huge pillars for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Each pillar represented a different ethnic minority. There are 56 ethnic groups in China of which 55 are minorities.
Street vendors were everywhere. However, they are illegal in China so if the police were coming they would start packing up. They were very pushy and would keep following you. One vendor offered a flag to Miss. She was just about ready to take it before we said no. She got all embarrassed. We had to remind her that nothing was free.
Miss was a celebrity. People would turn and stare at her. Many people pulled her aside to get their picture taken with her. We lost count after the 6th or 7th picture. So if you see a picture of Marissa with some stranger, this is what it is all about. We had to really watch her because some people wouldn't ask and would just pull her away. Most people were good about asking though. She was a very good sport and smiled nicely. It was nice to have the guide along because she would tell us what people were saying about her. Scott knows a little Mandarin so he could pick out a little of it as well. One little boy who must have been maybe 3 said, "She is from a foreign country." Scott taught Marissa how to say no problem in Chinese. So she responded to a group once after a picture and then they thought she could speak Chinese so they started talking to her. Of course, she responded with a blank stare. I told Scott he needed to teach her how to say that is all I know.
The Forbidden City was something else. It just kept going. Can you imagine having 3,000 concubines? That would keep one busy.
After the Forbidden City we went to a silk factory. We tried our hand at making a silk blanket and failed miserably. Then it was off to lunch and The Great Wall.
I had no idea what we were in for when we went to the Great Wall. I should have known when the guide said she would wait for us at the entrance. We walked around the corner and were faced with steps for as far as one could see up the mountain. These weren't just ordinary steps. They varied in height and depth which made the climb even more challenging. When I got to the first tower, I thought I was going to die. However, I had to keep going because Marissa was off to the next tower. She was like an Energizer bunny. People commented on how well she was doing. She finally wore out though a tower or two from what we think was the top, but who knows. Every time we thought we were almost there, the path would turn and there would be another mountain of steps. It is one of those things that you have to experience to really appreciate.
After The Great Wall it was back to the hotel. We were able to experience what traffic was really like in Beijing. The guide said it was typical traffic because on the weekends there aren't restrictions on who could drive and many people headed to the suburbs. We took a detour by the Olympic Stadium but it was dark by that time so we were able to just see the silhouette of the buildings. By the time we got back to the hotel, Miss was sound asleep in the car. I think we finally wore her out.
Street vendors were everywhere. However, they are illegal in China so if the police were coming they would start packing up. They were very pushy and would keep following you. One vendor offered a flag to Miss. She was just about ready to take it before we said no. She got all embarrassed. We had to remind her that nothing was free.
Miss was a celebrity. People would turn and stare at her. Many people pulled her aside to get their picture taken with her. We lost count after the 6th or 7th picture. So if you see a picture of Marissa with some stranger, this is what it is all about. We had to really watch her because some people wouldn't ask and would just pull her away. Most people were good about asking though. She was a very good sport and smiled nicely. It was nice to have the guide along because she would tell us what people were saying about her. Scott knows a little Mandarin so he could pick out a little of it as well. One little boy who must have been maybe 3 said, "She is from a foreign country." Scott taught Marissa how to say no problem in Chinese. So she responded to a group once after a picture and then they thought she could speak Chinese so they started talking to her. Of course, she responded with a blank stare. I told Scott he needed to teach her how to say that is all I know.
The Forbidden City was something else. It just kept going. Can you imagine having 3,000 concubines? That would keep one busy.
After the Forbidden City we went to a silk factory. We tried our hand at making a silk blanket and failed miserably. Then it was off to lunch and The Great Wall.
I had no idea what we were in for when we went to the Great Wall. I should have known when the guide said she would wait for us at the entrance. We walked around the corner and were faced with steps for as far as one could see up the mountain. These weren't just ordinary steps. They varied in height and depth which made the climb even more challenging. When I got to the first tower, I thought I was going to die. However, I had to keep going because Marissa was off to the next tower. She was like an Energizer bunny. People commented on how well she was doing. She finally wore out though a tower or two from what we think was the top, but who knows. Every time we thought we were almost there, the path would turn and there would be another mountain of steps. It is one of those things that you have to experience to really appreciate.
After The Great Wall it was back to the hotel. We were able to experience what traffic was really like in Beijing. The guide said it was typical traffic because on the weekends there aren't restrictions on who could drive and many people headed to the suburbs. We took a detour by the Olympic Stadium but it was dark by that time so we were able to just see the silhouette of the buildings. By the time we got back to the hotel, Miss was sound asleep in the car. I think we finally wore her out.
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