The rest of Beijing

A few more pics from our trip to Beijing.  You may have noticed we were two kids shy.  We left Mia and Piper with Rich's parents.  We didn't think the stroller could take the steps at the great wall.

Matt and Lily on the train to Beijing. 

When we told the kids we were taking the train, their initial reaction was, 'No'.  They imagined the train to be the same as the metro (subway).  To get them pumped, I showed them some pictures of sleeper cars and told them this is what we are riding in.  Little did I know that we were riding economy, hard sleeper class.  It did not look at all like the pictures and I'm sure if those pics had been scratch and sniff I would have realized the smell was off too.

Matt and Rich on train.

This picture typifies both personalities to a tee.  Matt too crazy (he is a nine year old boy after all).  Rich too serious (he is forty and Chinese, what else did I expect?).

The Olympic Village: Bird's Nest and The Cube.

There were these sculptures all through the Wang Fu Jing shopping center.  

Yuan Min Yuan is this cool park that used to be the Emperor's summer palace and garden.  It was enormous and exquisite but also the focus of many raids.  The final pillage was during the Second Opium War.  The compound was set on fire and never rebuilt.  The guide told us it was to serve as a reminder of foreign aggression and humiliation toward China.  Ouch! 

Matt and Lily loved it because it was one of the few places that didn't post 'No Climbing' signs.

This is Tiantan, translation: the temple of heaven. 

We had to be on the bus at 6:30 every morning, crazy, I know!  By afternoon, the kids were wiped out and would sleep while we drove from site to site.  On this particular day, Lily was awake while Matt slept.  We thought his appearance could us some improving so she took care of the lipstick while I covered the facial hair.  I thought he looked great!  All of the old ladies on the tour thought he was adorable. 

He has since gotten us back by drawing full beards on the girls at night.  Lily, who can dish it out but can't take it, screamed, cried and then wouldn't talk to anyone the rest of the day.  Mia, loved it and didn't want to wash it off.  Piper was clueless.   Nothing unexpected in any of those reactions.