Beijing

After a wonderful 13 hour train trip on an overnight sleeper train from Changsha to Beijing, we arrived at the Beijing Railway Station at 7:10 a.m. Thursday morning. The train trip allowed us to see the beauty of China's countryside and experience travel the way most Chinese do throughout the country. We were fortunate enough to share our 4 bed compartment with a female University student from Changsha who we enjoyed speaking to during our trip (In China each train compartment has 2 bunk beds that sleep four people per room. You are not allowed to purchase extra tickets and thus a group of 3 will usually end up sharing their compartment with a stranger). It was truly an adventure we will never forget.

Sophia & Mom in Tiananmen Square

Sophia and Mom in Forbidden City

Sophia and Dad inside the Forbidden City

Sophia and Dad in front of marble carving in Forbidden City

Mom and Sophia in Forbidden City

Karate Kid Part IV

Sophia & Dad on top of the Summer Palace

Sophia and Mom in front of the famous 17 arch bridge at the Summer Palace

The Chaoyang Acrobat Troupe

Beijing has changed so much in the 9 years since we were last here. The tens of thousands of bicycles we saw in 2003 have been replaced by thousands of vehicles as the standard of living has drastically improved under the "Great Opening Up" of the economy in China. The dour gray buildings we saw in 2003 have been replaced by some spectacular high rises that light up with striking colors at night. What hasn’t changed is the smog that permeates the city during most of the day. During our 3 days in Beijing for our orientation, we were able to see the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Olympic Park, Chaoyang Acrobatic Troupe and the wonderful Great Wall section of Mutianyu that was definitely our favorite of the sightseeing we have been on so far. While the weather has been gray and rainy for some of our trip, the day we went to the Great Wall was a beautiful day with blue sky and the sun we have been missing for the past several days. As you can see from our pictures, it was absolutely beautiful. With Beijing and our orientation now complete, we are headed to Guangzhou and Isabella!!!!!





Near the top of the Mutianyu Section of the Great Wall



Sophia and Mom outside of a guard tower on the Wall