Day 1

Well we did it, we survived a 13hr plane ride! Sometimes I thought I wouldn't make it. I even cried, just once. The flight overall was great, good movie choices, good food (3 meals!), and the best thing was it wasn't full-which means I had 3 seats to spread out across! 

Airplane dinner

Our flight path

So we got into Beijing around 9:30pm (Beijing is 14hrs ahead of KS) and our guide wasn't there. Luckily there were 3 other families waiting with us, so we were able to look awkward standing huddled up together, only white people around! I'm sure we were a sight!  Once getting to our hotel I lost it. Couldn't figure out how to get our lights on & to stay on, and then I couldn't figure out wifi! The thought of not checking in with home was too much and I just lost it. Then, like magic, the wifi connected and we figured out the lights! (You may think it's as simple as turning on a light switch, but you would be wrong!)

So when people talk about jetlag, it's for real! I was up at 3am!  I am so thankful that I started my day skyping the boys. So what I needed in order to have a positive attitude today!  We had a very busy day today.  First we headed to a jade factory, it was pretty amazing to see then work and look at all of the jewelry and decor. 

Then we loaded up and headed to the Great Wall. Wow, it is simply amazing to see that! It was COLD! We went ahead and took the challenge to hike the loop. There are 6 of us families traveling together, 1 of them has their 6yr old daughter with them. Man, she was a trooper! This hike is no joke! My thighs burned so bad on the way up, and my legs were so jello-like on the way down. The stairs are deteriorating so each step is made carefully! 

This picture makes me laugh. When you get to the top the statue says "You are now a man"....obviously we ladies needed a picture with it ;-)

And the boys....we tried to get them to take of the shirts, seemed like a great photo op! They disagree! The man on the left is Uncle Zhou (Joe), our guide. 

After our climb of the "Great Stairs" we went for lunch at an amazing restuarant. Attached to it was a factory where they make vases, so we got a tour of that as well. 

Our lunch

And I spotted my first squatty potty! 

The key to the bathrooms here, the toulet paper roll is just inside the bathroom entrance, not the stall. So don't forget your paper!!!!! ;-)

After lunch we got to see the 2008 Olympic stadium, and plenty of traffic, crazy drivers, and more than enough smog. Seriously, pedestrians walk right out infront of cars, cars pull out infront of each other, I'm not sure if there is a "right of way" here!

Well I'm gonna call it a night. Exhaustion has sunk in. We are eating in our room tonight, Pringles and a couple of Chinese beers! Oh, and watching Mulan! Perfect movie for tonight! 

Thanks for all of the prayers, keep them coming! Tomorow we're off to the Forbidden City!