Where do I start? Each new day brings a huge adventure. We left the hotel around 8:30am. We met with our guide, Tracy. She’s a wealth of information. She attended university in Xi’An. That is where the terra cotta warriors are. Another place that I would love to go to, but seeing how we only have 2 weeks in China and are adopting a daughter, I guess I will have to wait to get to that! :-)
After a rather long drive to the mountains...we found ourselves at the foot of the Great Wall. The elevation is 3,000 feet. Liz and I walked until we personally felt as though we had seen enough of the Great Wall to say that we climbed it without killing ourselves. Brion and Wayne the true men...continued much higher up the wall. It was rather cold, but not unbearable. I brought along our latest copy of the Oceana Herald Journal and thought I would read a bit at the Great Wall! :-)
Following the Great Wall trek, we headed to a jade factory for some shopping and lunch. Sorry ladies...no jade for us. After the pearls I bought yesterday, I needed let our Mastercard stop smoking!
The Summer Palace was beautiful. It was one of the other places on my list that I really wanted to see. There is an incredible marble boat. Oh, the Summer Palace is where the emperor went to "hang out" and enjoy the huge man made lake.
After all this we had the chance to have an hour long shoulder/foot massage. Tracy took us to a little massage place that she had visited and we were given the best massages. First we were treated to a nice foot soak and shoulder massage. After the soak was complete, we laid back and then they went to work on our feet. I’m sure my feet were thanking us! The people that worked at the massage places were blind. Tracy said that blind people give better massages than sighted ones. We paid about 50 yuan (about $6 a person). Imagine that!
Dinner tonight was at a "minority" restaurant. The people that were running it are from a southern province in China. Food was delicious. Gluttonous rice in a pineapple was just like glorified rice. Grams, you need to learn how to make this!!
Beijing has been a wonderful place. Wayne and I have enjoyed our time here immensely. It is a city rich with history and tradition, although you see many American and other foreign influences.
Today we are headed to Wuhan. We are not sure if this is the day that we will get Julia. I’m so scared and excited at the same time. Wayne and I both feel for what Julia’s foster mother is about to experience. Julia has never been with any other family. I ask that you pray for Julia’s foster family and for us we approach this more trying time.
Enjoy the pictures from our last day in Beijing. Cameron and Anna, I love you and miss you lots. I hope that you are having a good time with Aunt Pammy. Tell her that there is cookie dough in the fridge if she wants to make cookies!!! I will write as soon as we have Julia!!
1 comment:
What a beautiful country! The pictures you have posted are terrific. I can't believe the BIG day is soon approaching. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to make the sad part of all of this go away. However think of how wonderful it has been for Julia to have a foster mom and what a terrific future you are both providing her. We all love you very much Julia Renee and I for one will spoil you ROTTEN!!! See you soon little one:-) As I've said before, God has his Angels on earth and Julia's new parents are perfect examples.
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