Today was a great day! Really our only day touring in Beijing, we started the day at 7:30am and didn’t stop until 9pm. There were a few things on the schedule we missed, but all the things at the top of my list were hit.
We started at the jade factory. Jade is iconic in China, and almost the equivalent of the diamond in the USA. We got both the girls a jade pendant, me a bracelet and some things for the house that are classic in Chinese culture.
From there we took a long ride to the Great Wall. We walked A LOT of steps, then rode down on a toboggan.
We have such a fun and great group we are with! We are missing Mike in this shot, but this is our group and our guide Sue who is wonderful and teaching us so much about Chinese culture!
Just like every foreign country experience there always a hiccup or two. Heading back from the wall we hit crazy traffic. The AC stopped working and the van kept shutting off from over heating. We were all nauseous and dripping in sweat. We practically kissed the ground when we finally arrived at our traditional tea service.
After that our driver graciously made a Starbucks stop so we could pick up much needed coffee, and a Beijing mug!
For dinner we had traditional Peking/Beijing duck and it was delicious!!!
We head out in the morning at 7:30 am again to head to the train station for Shanghai. Looking forward to a slower day and settling into our hotel at Shanghai and getting ready to meet our girl Monday morning!