March 14 - 22 our travels took us to China for a fantastic week visiting Chris, Diane, Jonah, Eliza, and Myla, accompanied by Mom and Dad. We spent our first several days in Beijing touring sites and eating delicious food. Chris and Diane's friend Hiram is a budding tour guide and graciously accompanied us to the Great Wall, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and an acrobatic show at Beijing Chaoyang Theater. To our delight, we also spent time walking the streets soaking up Beijing's daily life. Hiram was a great addition to our group. Be sure to look him up if you are ever traveling to China! http://www.hiramstours.com/
We failed to set the alarm correctly our first night in Beijing, waking up an hour early. After our long flight and the time change, we weren't too chipper with this, but it turned out to be a great thing as we took an early morning walk past this church.
Our time at the Great Wall was splendid, yet disheartening thinking about the many people that toiled and died in its construction. Many of the sites we visited in China left us with this same feeling... amazing architectural structures built for the desires of the few at the expense of many.
Our time at Summer Palace...
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Temple of Heaven. It was such a joy to see so many people experiencing life together in such a variety of ways. Local persons from Beijing, especially older persons, come together daily to exercise, sing, play cards, etc. in the gardens surrounding the Temple of Heaven. Such a great model for the well-being of seniors when thinking about the isolation and nursing home placements that occur so commonly here in the States.
I enjoyed hacking with a local vendor.
In addition to our appreciation for the engaging nature of the people, we enjoyed the granduer and beauty of the temple.
...and the cyprus trees!
Dave goofing off with our nephew Jonah.
After our morning at the Temple of Heaven, we spent our afternoon at Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. The sheer size and vastness of these sites was impacting. So reverent and eerie to think of the 1989 protests for democracy.
Ah the food and the streets... a treat for our senses! Although the conjestion and buzz of Beijing life could be overstimulating, it was refreshing and energizing to be immersed in something new and different.
More pictures from our time in Beijing can be found in the photo link on the right. We'll post soon about our time in Xian and PL...
