Hi to all of our friends in the U.S.A.!! Day 2 in Beijing has been great. It started a little early - we were up by 3:30 am. Still trying to get accustomed to that time change thing. We managed to sort through all of the great emails you all have been sending and we watched a little CNN, then it was off to breakfast at 8 am. Breakfast was a buffet here in the hotel. It was a very traditional Chinese breakfast - you know an omelet with cheese, bacon, ham, and tomatoes, pancakes, fruit, sausage, french toast, and a whole lot of things we were unsure of the origin. During breakfast we learned from many of the other couples that we were not alone with the sleep thing. If we had known everyone else was up at 4:00 am we could have all made a White Castle run!! - or something of that nature. But anyway I am off the subject (mmmm, White Castle), after breakfast we all met in the lobby with Joy, our guide, for the days activities. The Pearl Market was to be the first adventure of the day, but little did we know that getting to the Pearl market would be our first as well as very memorable adventure. This experience was the Beijing taxi cab extravaganza!! - OH MY GOSH!! There is not a NASCAR driver alive that could put his car in the places that driver did! Terri and I had our new buddy, Jordan - age 12 (daughter of Leah and Tom from Sacramento) with us. Her and Terri were in the back seat holding on for dear life and screaming like they were riding Space Mountain at Disney. I was in the front seat with the camcorder running because I know no one would believe what we were experiencing. Plus I thought that maybe the drivers at the Richard Petty driving experience might need a few driving tips. I honestly do not know how they do not have any accidents, road rage, etc. but you rarely see any accidents and everyone seems to accept the driving as normal. They drive with one hand on the gear shift and one on the horn. Anyway, we final made it to the Pearl Market in one piece. The Pearl Market was interesting. Many shops which handle Jade, precious gems and of course pearls. There was a fresh seafood market on the first floor, so as we shopped for pearls on the second floor it just added to the experience. From the wonderful seafood aroma in the air, it almost felt as if we were selecting the pearls directly from the oysters mouth. The stores were nice though and the clerks were extremely accommodating and very professional. After we wisely invested Dalen and Annalei's college funds in pearls we were off for some more authentic Chinese food - KFC. KFC was, well, it was KFC - you know chicken and biscuits. After dinner we decided as a group to go to silk alley and continue our investment strategy. The taxi ride was pretty fare. He took us past the different country embassies. We saw the US Embassy, which was pretty cool, as well as several others. Silk alley was simply a four story building with 10' x 10' cubicles inside that house different merchants marketing their goods and wares. If you can name it, they had it and they wanted to sell it! If you showed even the most remote interest in an item, you were had. They would not let you away and they love to barter - not Mexico barter, I mean real barter! You essentially just named your price for an item (even better than Priceline), held your ground and you most likely will had your purchase. But the big educational piece was that if you showed interest, they would not let you away - literally. They would grab you, trap you, would not take no for an answer. You had three choices - buy the garment, hold your ground on your price or fight your way out - but let me tell you those little Chinese girls are strong. Regardless, we had a great time, made some goods buys and were left with some cash. After that we returned to the hotel. Terri and I decided to have a massage at the hotel - $15/hour and it was great! Dinner was nice. And now we are back in the room for some much needed rest. Before I end for the evening, I want to share a thought or two of China. We have been here for 2 days and do not fell as if we have left the US. The people are extremely friendly and many speak English. My observation on the way back from dinner was that when I have been in Mexico, I feel like I am in a foreign country, but that is not so here. It seems to be a good place to visit. Regardless, we'll say good night for tonight and will write more tomorrow.
PS: Dalen we love you and miss you, but understand you are doing a good job taking care of Mama and Papa Eaton!
