Oct. 4- It is 12:48 Wed am (11:45 Tues am in Memphis) we are here- and very tired!
Had a few mini crisis - but all worked out.
Will update tomorrow after our tour of the Forbidden City, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven which starts st 8am--night
night Love Sean and Angela
Ok I will tell you about our crisis yesterday first ----here goes
Get to the airport and the trunk is stuck, Sean was just about ready to try and go in through
the back seat when Sandy was able to open the trunk.
Go through security and there is an issue with our medicine carry on. They see manicure
scissors which I knew I had packed but swore were in the checked bag. I had NO IDEA where to even tell them to
look- so I am stressing and kept apologizing because I knew better than to pack those in carry on! Ok here is proof
I am anal...they were wrapped in a sock with tweezers, nail clipper and eyeglass repair kit so we would not stab
our selves as we unpacked. This would be great thinking if we were not trying to find with only 20 minutes
before flight time.
Get to gate and guess what ---- there is a leak on the plane, they said we'd delayed
about 30 minutes. Well we know better so now I am upset because we are going to miss all of our connections
if we do not get out pretty soon...so Sean goes off to see what he can find out. Well I just had a MELTDOWN!
During my meltdown I just kept praying for this all to get taken care of--- then all of a sudden Sean comes walking back at
the same time they make the announcement "They have another plane"- God is Good :-)))
I called my friend Jennifer to tell her good bye and about the mornings events and she told me everyone had to have labor
pains and these were mine!
Then we are on the flight from Detroit to Narita and they start talking about travel documents
needed for Japan-- well we do not have any! This time it is Sean that is stressed and I have an unexplainable
peace. It was fine we needed nothing and security and customs were a breeze
Oct 5th it is 5 pm here and we just got back from our tour today... Tiananmen Square,
Forbidden City, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven it was really beautiful and the weather was great. We were concerned
because it is the National Day holiday this week that would be VERY crowded but it was perfect and the flowers were done up
for the holiday. We also went to a pearl shop and picked an oyster and learned about pearls before lunch.
Our last stop of the day was to the Monopoly silk shop where they showed us how silk is made- we even helped stretch a layer
for a quilt they were working on. Of course we bought a strand of pearls and silk outfits for Cassie at these shops!
It was amazing to see how the people live here - There are SO many bicycles and they are so old-- what we would find
on a junk pile. Sean and I think these might be bikes they have had all their lives. We saw people moving all kinds
of things this way
Ok we are having technical issues with the photos - have been trying to download for a while. I am setting up a
yahoo book but it will still take forever to downloand the 155 photos we took today and I am about to fall asleep -- so you
will just have to come back tomorrow and see us :-)
Night night!!
October 6
Well today we were up at 5am had breakfast and met by our guide
Emory at 8:30 am. Our first stop was to a jade factory- it was interesting to see how things are made. We bought
Cassie a jade chop with her name and it has a Monkey on top since she was born in the year of the monkey. Next we went
to the GREAT WALL-- it was awesome! We walked up quite a way; it is amazing that it is so old and still solid.
At first I was not sure I would make it the first set of steps was a killer - but after that we were ok. We got a lot
of strange looks- not sure if it was because of how we looked or the fact that we were wearing shorts! We even haggled
on a t-shirt and brass plate showing we walked the wall... Sean was much better at that than I was. Then we left there
and went to a cloisonné factory. I never knew how much work went into those beautiful pieces... we did not buy anything
since we know we have to pack up tonight and it is going to be TIGHT! Then Emory took us for a traditional Chinese lunch
- it was really good and I even used chopsticks. Lastly we went to the Ming Tombs - the gardens were beautiful.
Then we headed
back to Beijing.... I still think Sean and I enjoy the driving and people watching most! We are just soaking up everything
we can so we will be able to tell and show Cassie more of her country. Sean dozed on the drive home and I fought it
hard since I was wearing my contacts! Now we have to pack and think about dinner -- so much for the massage I was hoping
to get today, besides I am so tired I think I would fall right asleep. It has been a very peaceful visit here in Beijing
and I am so glad we decided to do this! Tomorrow we are off to Hong Kong and one step closer to Cassie!!!
Oct
7 Well it is about 10 am and we are ready to say good bye to Beijing! We have had an amazing time
here. Sean is feeling a bit puny today and my cough has started back up so we began our anti- biotics today....we want
to be tip top on Monday when we get Cassie. One of the other families in our group is already in Hong Kong and they
say the hotel is very nice.
Quick
story I forgot to tell you yesterday --- Sean went to use the rest room at the jade market-- he came out of the bathroom beat
red and I just had to ask. Apparently the bathroom attendant was so intrigued by Sean he asked if he was American and
then began rubbing his belly and even gave him a quick shoe shine!
We
are checking our emails and Sandy we were impressed to get yours but have not seen another-- has Lisa not been by yet????
Hus
to all
Ang
and Sean
