Twenty four hours of travel is never easy, but we made it to Beijing without any major mishaps. Just once did we think we lost our three boys, only to find them hanging out with the pilot of our plane while we deplaned out a different door. I knew they could not get past customs without us, but for two minutes my heart raced. Whatever happened after finding them was icing on the cake. The "icing" was seeing all eight pieces of luggage on the carousel. Now, we can only hope the return travel will go just as smoothly.
After arriving in Beijing, we were greeted at the airport by a very nice and beautiful Chinese woman named Alice who will be a our guide for the next few days. She gave us a very warm welcome, and immediately began informing us about the Chinese culture and giving travelers' tips. After hotel check-in, she said, "I'll meet you at 7am tomorrow morning in the lobby." Seven o'clock in the morning on Friday came very quickly.
Last night we explored a very popular street in Beijing filled with large stores such as the Apple store, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Zara plus so many more. Then we turned down a crowded street which began with a red and gold arch, and was followed by a line of Chinese street food vendors. The first vendor...scorpions on a stick! At that same vendor, they also had Cicadas on a stick, squid on a stick and some sort of bug shell on a stick. Brycen begged to try the scorpions, and although I love his adventurous nature, my maternal instincts could not let him eat scorpions. Our compromise was the squid. Finn also tried some street food such as rice balls, dumplings and vegetable egg rolls. We finished off our first day here at a yummy restaurant with a menu with pictures and English! Watching Evie eat her first traditional Chinese noodles since leaving China four and half years ago was memorable. She loved them!
This morning we got up bright and early to eat breakfast and meet Alice at seven o'clock. We piled in the van and headed straight to the Badging area of the Great Wall. Wow! The Great Wall is amazing! The preservation of this old and dignified structure is immaculate. Thousands visit daily. A cable car took us up the mountain to begin our walk on the Great Wall. The stairs were very high and uneven, and at some points we had to hold on to a railing to get up the steepest terrain. Everyone did it! Our kids walked with interest and joy, and our parents' (my mother, Bryan's father), climbed with strength and desire. Bryan and I could not have been more proud and grateful for our team.
After the Great Wall, we explored a jade museum with Alice. We learned all about China's most precious stone, and saw many beautiful handmade pieces of jewelry. A hearty Chinese family style lunch followed, and then off we went for a hutong tour. Hutongs are a very important part of the history of China that have been held on to for many of today's generations. Hutongs are lined streets of homes of families, typically passed through many generations. We rode on rickshaws through the hutong neighborhoods and took in the sights of older homes, many hardworking people and precious children making up the a large part of Old Beijing. One family welcomed us in their home to visit and asks questions about their life in the hutong neighborhood. Fourteen people lived in this home, sectioned off by siblings. It had been passed down through 4 generations. They were extremely generous and kind to our family. The wife wanted Bennett to stay. :-) She and her husband stroked his hair and pinched his cheeks often during our visit. So sweet! Our kids were enamored by their chinchilla living in the house! Thankfully, it was in a cage. They also had a couple birds and fish. I loved the pomegranate tree growing in their small courtyard. Unfortunately, they will not be ready to pull for another month. The kind couple did not let us leave empty handed, insisting we eat some of their dates.
By the time we made it back to our hotel, the jet lag was catching up to us. Our children did some of their homework and I was reminded the I could never homeschool. We accomplished some math and grammar work. Tonight, we have taken naps and the boys went swimming. I am pretty sure they belly flopped and raced so many people out of the pool. Oh my!
Tomorrow will be another big day! I'll update as soon as I can. In the meantime, the countdown is on. Three days to Poppy!!!
Happy weekend, all!
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