China Iphone Pictures

Day 1 Exploring Beijing

Today was our first day exploring china. We were all up by 5am and not by choice, I think we can blame jet lag... We had breakfast at the hotel buffet. They had the traditional breakfast food, but also some strange options like baked beans and a salad bar. I tried to fill up on breakfast because I had no idea what would be served at lunch. We started our tour soon after. Our first stop was a jade museum/factory. We learned about the different colors and types of jade. We also made a few special purchases. Next stop, the Great Wall of China! It was so amazing to see in person. Little sister and I almost made it to the top section. Some parts were so steep. All the stairs were different heights. Many of the steps were worn down from all the people visiting. The section we visited was called JuYong. By the time I got down my legs were so shaky and tired. I am going to be sore tomorrow! After the Great Wall climb we went to a group lunch. There was quite a few dishes to choose from and I tried most of them. I also used chop sticks to eat, not an easy tasks. In the bottom part of the restaurant was a cloisonné factory. It was so interesting to see how they make everything. On our way back to the hotel we drive by the Olympic park and saw the many cool buildings built for the Olympics. 

We made it!

After over 24 hours of traveling we finally made it to our hotel in Beijing. Our flights went very smoothly but we are exhausted. We explored the hotel looking for some dinner options but decided to go the safe route and order room service. Spring rolls, beef dumplings, and fried rice with soy sauce really hit to spot. Although by this point anything is better than airplane food. Met a few families in our travel group tonight and tomorrow we will meet the rest at orientation. Going to bed in a little bit... It's only a little after 6pm here. We will definitely be well rested for the Great Wall of China tomorrow.

Wordless "All Packed for China" Wednesday