The site seeing has begun in Beijing, touring The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven and of course the Great Wall are all on the agenda for these 2 days. Everyone seems to be holding up well, ready and excited over the touring. Amazing it was to see the actual sites of pictures seen only in books. It felt like going back in history, but yet Houston said he couldn't believe all the new construction going on in the city, In contrast to the high rises with the building cranes on top of them, you would see complexes of very small housing with metal roofs where people lived. These roofs would have a brick or some sort of weight on top to hold the roof on. It was like seeing 2 separate periods of history at the same time.
At the Temple of Heaven, Houston saw what appeared to be retired or older Chinese people in the park doing exercises. He said it was very beautiful the way they performed, some of it almost like ballroom dancing. Another site that caught his attention was a beggar on the street, sitting on a mat because he couldn't walk, and begging for money with a cup. It reminded him of the story in the Bible of the lame beggar outside the temple.
As you can see there is a huge contrast in the way of life of the people in China. A young girl working at one of the stores they visited, had to work 7 days a week, live at the store, and could not afford to travel to see her family that lived in a small rural community many miles away. Many Chinese people seem to have hard lives filled with work and poverty.
At the Great Wall, many in our group proudly marched up determined to reach the top. but most found they could not quite finish the journey.( I would never have started it.) My husband (former athlete) said he had to even stop and take rest breaks, while our small petite friend Robin kept right on walking. Apparently the Chinese girls, age 13-14 took a liking to Robin's son who is 10 and very cute with blonde hair. They kept stopping him on the walk wanting to have their picture made with him. Being the modest, shy young man he is, his only reply to our group," I've got the Power!!!
As their day was ending, their guide took the group to a thrilling Kung fu show, similar to an acrobatics performance with intense and dangerous stunts. Well, the show was not thrilling enough to keep the bunch awake! My husband said he dosed off, jerked his head up and asked his friend Ricky next to him what he had missed. Ricky replied he didn't know because he had been asleep too. Most of the group admitted after the show to sleeping or dozing off for a period. One from the group dozed off on the bus and hit her head on the seat in front of her. I guess a body can take only so much site seeing and fun!
Hopefully they will get all rested up, because the babies are coming!!!!
Houston at the Great Wall.
The rest of the gang outside the Tea House in the garden.
Houston on the rick-shaw, waiting to ride into Hutong Lane.
