Whew. . . what a day! I am writing this from ~30,000 feet in route from Beijing to Wuhan. Our day in Beijing was filled with sites, sounds, smells, tastes, and most of all people. . . lots and lots of people. After another wonderful breakfast at the Holiday Inn, we boarded the bus for Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. This was mostly a walking tour of the square and emperor's palace. Much of the area was under construction as they are getting ready for the 2008 olympics. We were not real impressed and it was way too crowded. The number of people in this area on a weekend in Summer was overwhelming and at times uncomfortable. The most beautiful part of this tour was the emperor's Imperial Gardens portion of the Forbidden City. It was much less crowded and we got a few good pictures.
We managed to make it through the Forbidden City and our bus picked us up for a short ride to Old Town, the first developed area of Beijing after the Forbidden City. The area was made up of tree-lined streets and one-story structures so as not to block any view of the emperor's palace. We stopped for rickshaw rides through Old Town. We definitely got a taste of the "Amazing Race" in the rickshaw. It was really interesting to catch a glimpse of this part of Chinese culture. We were able to experience a traditional lunch at the home of a Chinese family. This was definitely the best experience of the day. The food was excellent. We ate dishes made with chicken, beef, beans, eggplant, dumplings, and of course, rice. We were at a table with three other couples in a separate room from the rest of the group. We all laughed and truly soaked up the experience.
We then went to the Silk Factory for a tour and shopping. We picked up a couple of silk outfits for Anna. After that, we headed to the Hard Rock Cafe area where we found a shop selling purses, watches, and clothing. We got some real bargains here and spent over an hour bartering for purchases. Again, we paid more than most. . . bartering remains a weakness for us! Dinner at the Hard Rock was much like being back in America as we ate and listened to modern rock under the watchful eye of Elvis.
On the ride to the airport, we got some instruction from our coordinator Zhou on the next few days with our babies in Wuhan. Tomorrow morning Anna will be placed in our arms for the first time. The long wait and mounds of paperwork seems so little at this point. We continue to be blessed beyond expectation since starting this journey to Anna. Tomorrow is "Gotcha Day", the phrase used by adoption families for the day they receive their child! The long-awaited day is about to arrive!
All Our Love,
Ken & Sharon
Imperial Gardens - Forbidden City
Rickshaw Drivers at Rest
Traditional Meal at Family Home. . . Are you sure that's a chicken wing Mark?
