Day 8, flight to Xi'an

WiFi in our hotel sucks.  Can upload squat.  Will write more in next city (Chongqing) two days hence.  

Tomorrow: Terra Cotta Warriors 

Day 7, Great Wall of China, outside Beijing

Today marks the completion of our first week of vacation. However, due to the airline delay, we have only been in China for five days.

This morning, we took a two hour bus ride to the Great Wall. It was very misty and crowded. We started calling at the Great Wall of… Shoving Pushy Rude People.  Catherine did a heroic job of keeping me safe in the long and extremely crowded lines. It was a very stressful 30 minutes in the exit line.

On the cable car to the top of the wall.  

What a goofy looking bunch of people. OK, perhaps I am the only goofy looking one in this photo.

At the top!

Misty.

Yeah, it's cold.

See the amazingly long line going uphill in the distance? We'll call that line "Catherine's Doom".  She took more than a few elbows in the back and the sides to keep me safe. She's earned more than a few massages on this trip!

I was here.

View the other direction. Which direction that would be, I don't know.

Back down again, safe and sound! 

Everyone can appreciate a warm tip. Especially in the bathroom.

Day 6 continued, Kung Fu Show

For $4 US dollars, you can pose with the performers and have your photo taken by friends and family.

Day 6, Tiananman Square and Forbidden City - Oct 25

We picked this time of the year to travel to China because it is considered the "shoulder season". Thus, Tiananmen Square was not as crowded as it was a mere two weeks ago.  Even so, there were a lot of people. Catherine, Brenda, and Bob formed a moving phalanx around Limell to keep her from getting run over.  

Traveling with the Bs.

The whole gang of adventurers,

 Inside the Forbidden City.

The ubiquitous selfie-stick.

Forbidden City inner sanctum.

Bob was a frequent target of the street artists hoping to sell an impromptu portrait.

My Dragon Lady.

Catherine tells me this is where we will live when she wins the lottery. She is particularly drawn to the rocks.

Day 3 - We fly! We arrive! - Oct 21 & 22

Our plane.

View of Alaska of the window.

Although our flight to China was delayed by 48 hours and our luggage was lost by the airlines for the same duration of time, we finally made it (mostly safe, mostly sane) to Beijing.  Whew!

Day 4, continued - Summer Palace and View of Forbidden City - Oct 23

Below are a few pictures we took at the Summer Palace.

Our guide, Eddie.

Deer with a snake in its mouth.

Walkway of Empress Cixi, aka The Dragon Lady. There is much controversy on whether or not she was a good or bad leader.

On the Dragon Boat we took across the man-made Kunming Lake.

Looking down at the Forbidden City from Jingshan Park.

One of The viewing pagodas on Jingshan Park. The park is very popular with Beijing residents. People play chess, practice tai chi, play music, sing karaoke, walk their pets, etc.