Day 4 - 5.28.2011 - Beijing

Today was our last full day in Beijing. I'm a little sad to be leaving here as it is such an amazing city with really unique people. I am making this short as it is already 10.15 here and I have to be up by 5.45 to finish packing, shower, and get ready to board a 3 hour flight to Guilin in the morning. Today we visited old Beijing, Tian'anmen Square, and The Forbidden City. Here were a few of my favorites from today.

During our stop in "Old Beijing" we visited a family home, and when we left, these two little kids were standing outside the doorway. The little girl asked me "Take picture?" After I had taken the photo, she then asked me "I see, I see?". After showing her the photo I had taken of the two of them, she began jumping up and down and clapping saying "Yay!" Those two children started my morning off in "rural" Beijing in a great way!

A Beijing newspaper laying in the street

The Forbidden City

This photo was taken just before we left Qian Men Emperor's Avenue, and before heading back to the hotel for the night. The trolley gave me a brief feeling of being back home - of being in Chinatown in San Francisco.

Day 2 - 5.26.2011 - Beijing

Today was pretty eventful as any "normal" day for an American tourist in China might be. We began with a "welcome" conference with all delegates and guests in our hotel. Leonard, our national representative with People to People spoke for the most part. He talked about China, it's people, it's history, and it's population. Then he talked a little bit about the rest of our trip to Guilin and Shanghai. After our "in-country briefing", we went to lunch at the Wahaha Hotel and ate lunch in the hotel restaurant. I tried some new food, and drank Sprite, as I was a little weary to drink water if it wasn't from a bottle that I opened.

After lunch, the guests boarded one bus, and the delegates boarded another. The delegates were bussed back to the hotel, and the guests were bussed to the Temple of Heaven. It was absolutely breath-taking! Pictures definitely don't do that place any justice and is something that has to be seen for yourself. After walking around the Temple of Heaven for a few hours, and listening to our fabulous tour guide Wendy, it began to thunder and lightning. Luckily, the rain held off until we boarded the bus to head back to the hotel. Once in the hotel, I tried to shower and get ready for the "Beijing Night" Gala Dinner, but I was exhausted and suffering from a bit of sore throat. (Hopefully, just from the polluted air of Beijing.) I uploaded my photos and here I sit posting my second blog post from our trip.

I took a video, that I tried for a while to upload but didn't work. This video was taken from our hotel on the 12th floor. Our tour guide Wendy told us on the bus ride that Beijing suffers from "rush hour" every hour of every day. There is a limit to the number of cars that are allowed to be bought every month. After I got back to our hotel, I sat at the window for a few minutes and pondered what life must be like in China. After thinking for a few minutes, I decided to take this video to remind me of the constant gridlock in China, and how lucky I have it at home... Driving in San Francisco is NOTHING like driving in Beijing!

A glass and coaster from our hotel.

Tea kettle from our lunch at the Wahaha Restaurant.

Our fabulous tour guide, Wendy, giving us the history of Confucius at the Temple of Heaven.

The Temple of Heaven

A bronze statue from inside one of the buildings at the Temple of Heaven.

The Temple of Heaven