First Day in Beijing
Lars and I woke this morning, enjoyed a fairly American breakfast at the hotel and then headed out for some site-seeing. Here we are standing just outside Tian’anmen Square. Our guide was helpful as she shared some Chinese history and pointed out the various buildings surrounding the Square, including The Museum of Chinese History and The Great Hall of People.
Our next stop was to enter the outer gates of the Forbidden City. We walked and walked, surrounded by beautiful buildings established in the 15th century, during the Ming Dynasty. Incredible rooflines and stone streets and wonderful bronze statues. The city seemed to go on an on.
Lars and I under the ‘couple tree’ in the Emperors Garden.
What an incredible palace/city. Lars noted that we should try to view it from googleearth to try to understand the magnitude. We learned about various emperors who lived there, including those that came to power as small boys. Incredible stories. I was trying to remember all I had learned in Asian Civ. back in college. 🙂
Then it was on to lunch. We went by rickshaw! A lovely way to travel. The alleys were filled with clothes drying, parked mo-peds and men playing cards. We arrived to a local family’s home. They use their living room as a restaurant for extra income. We enjoyed, spicy peanuts, garlic shoots, dumplings, bamboo root, pork meatballs and rice of course. It was delicious.
We have had a great day! We are getting to know the other couples in our group and tonight we will have dinner together and then explore the night market. Scorpions-on-a-stick here we come! Maybe…
I am thrilled to be here. I keep leaning over to Lars and saying, “We are in CHINA!” I can hardly believe the day has come. And though I’m very thankful for the couple days of site-seeing, and body-clock changing, I am ever so aware that Liddy is going about her day, a mere one hour plane ride, and two hour train ride from where I sit right now. We are so close. Three days Liddy, three short days! How I can love someone so much, someone I’ve never met, is amazing to me. But I do. What joy!
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I love these posts. I am getting more excited just ready about the journey. I, too, am hopeful and continue to pray smooth for transitions (or at least that you can see God in them!) Love you ………Can’t wait to meet Lydia.
Thank you so much for sharing this experience with those of us back home. China looks beautiful and this is the only way I’ll ever visit it.
We are loving being able to follow along….I keep tearing up as I read. Hope all continues to go so well. Love to you both!
So so so excited and grow more so with each post! I teared up at the three short days comment! I can’t wait… You both must be jumping out of your skin! Love to you and we’re praying, praying, praying for a smooth transition!!
Loving every word and every picture. Can you post the pictures bigger for us? I sound really old making that request 🙂 I just want to see BIG pictures of Lydia 🙂
Emily, I posted a couple pictures this morning. Are they better? We can’t see the pictures on the blog…
YES! Pictures are perfect size – nice and big! Love it!
I LIKE how you roll!!! So refreshing to see a couple taking on the adventure of China and living it up…. Soaking it up! While getting their babe. My hubs and I are looking at alternative modes of transport and accomodations for our turn at gotcha day!