It was so great to be back in China! I love this country, and the best part was Ryan got to join me on this trip. I couldn't wait to show him (and our friends, Matt and Suzanne) some of my favorite parts of this amazing place. Here are some of the highlights.
We flew into Beijing on Saturday afternoon. We got to our hotel and decided to head out for a bite to eat. As we were walking, a very friendly lady came up and starting talking; she spoke great English. We eventually agreed to go visit her art show which was actually pretty cool though, really, you probably shouldn't follow strangers off the beaten path. It was a fun little adventure to start things out, and we had fun learning about different traditional art styles. Oh, and we bought a little piece to bring home. After that, we managed to find a restaurant and actually order a tasty dinner. By then, we were all pretty beat (that plane ride and time change is awful!), so we headed on back and went to bed. We knew we'd need to get up and start adjusting the next morning.
One of the neat art sculptures we saw while out and about.
On Sunday, we headed over to the Forbidden City. I was very excited because we are usually here on Mondays, and only the first courtyard is open on Monday. I was looking forward to exploring more of it this time. Unfortunately, we didn't realize they only sell a certain number of tickets each day, and we weren't able to get one. Oh well, I guess I'll have to go back!
Needless to say, it was pretty crowded that day...
We decided to walk to the other side of the street to Tienanmen Square. I was able to share some of the history that I've learned in the past, and we all spent a lot of time quietly thinking about all the people we were seeing.
From there we decided to walk over to the Temple to Heaven. We wanted to be outside as much as possible. We stopped at a little coffee shop along the way for a bite to eat and rest our legs, but then we made it to the Temple. I love this beautiful area and what it represents. This is where the emperors would go to sacrifice "to the God above." At one point, they recognized that there is a supreme God above them. I pray they return to this belief one day!
Every detail is beautiful.
Looking over at the various buildings.
We luckily caught a taxi and went back to the hotel to clean up before dinner. I was super excited to see my friend Abby that evening. She met us for dinner so we could enjoy Peking duck. I really wanted to introduce this meal to everyone, and I was glad Abby was there to help make sure we got everything just right. It's so delicious! We really had a great time talking with her too. She was getting ready to make a presentation to some friends about the plight of refugees from the Middle East and some parts of Africa. This is an area near and dear to the four of us, so we enjoyed sharing our experiences and thoughts with her. This was such a wonderful evening with a precious friend.
On Monday morning, we decided to go to the Lama Temple. This is the largest Buddhist temple outside of Tibet. There were so many people there worshiping and making sacrifices. We were able to spend a lot of time thinking about each one we saw.
This scene of a mother and child worshiping took my break away.
After our time at the temple, we needed to head back to the hotel to get ready to fly out. Unfortunately, there wasn't a single taxi available, so we had to walk back pretty quickly. It was so hot and humid (low 90's with 90%+ humidity...yikes) that this really drained us. We actually walked close to 18 miles in the less than 2 days we were in Beijing! Thankfully, we made it back to the hotel, quickly cooled off and cleaned up, grabbed a snack for the road, and headed on to the airport. We landed in Inner Mongolia a couple of hours later. I enjoyed being in a new part of the country; I have never headed north before!
The next day we met up with our guides and learned a little about their life here which is always fascinating to me. Later in the day, we went for a hike up the mountain; it was a little rainy and overcast, but it still provided the opportunity to look over the city.
The next day, we drove a couple of hours outside the city where we got to see part of the Wall. This area is pretty small compared to what I saw last time, but it was still so cool to see! I am always amazed at this structure!
The four of us on the wall.
We all got a good giggle at our celebrity status here today. Not surprisingly, my blond hair tends to stick out! It was amazing how many people pulled me into pictures or tried to sneak in a picture as I walked by. Honestly, it was lots of fun! Even though I couldn't communicate with these individuals, it was a great opportunity for us to put faces in our mind to remember and think about.
After visiting the wall and museum, we visited an unreconstructed part of the wall which was so cool. I had never really thought about this before, but of course this is what it looked like.
The following day I was sick and unable to participate with the group. I had made the rookie mistake of eating a delicious pear in my room. About 3 bites in I remembered I wasn't able to wash it. I paid dearly for those 3 bites for the next 24 hours. The others all headed out to a large Buddhist monastery where our tour guide has an acquaintance. I'm sorry I missed out on this unique experience, but Ryan put together this collage from the day.
Thankfully I was feeling better the next day, so I was able to participate in a super fun activity. We went to a school that tutors kids after school in English. For most, English is their third language as they speak Mongolian and Mandarin. We helped run a book club that day where we read and acted out If You Give A Mouse A Cookie; who doesn't love that book? After that, we worked on "if/then" structure which the kids found fun. Then, we moved on to creative projects. First, we gave each child a blank canvas and some paint. They turned out some beautiful projects as they loved this unstructured, creative time! Next, we made a little mouse and cookie ornament. Finally, we gave them cookies and let them decorate with icing and sprinkles. I think it's safe to say this was their favorite part!
For dinner that night, we were treated to a traditional Mongolian meal inside a ger (we call it a yurt). The meat of choice is mutton which was a first for me. There were lots of delicious sides too. We all enjoyed trying something new here.
The real treat came towards the end of the meal where some musicians came. The man produced some of the most unbelievable sounds I have ever heard. The ladies also sang, and it reminded us of the China section of It's A Small World. This was a fabulous experience that I will never forget!
Mongols often wear these beautiful bright colors which I loved. The man sitting down also played the horsehead fiddle which was super cool. We bought a miniature one to bring home as a great reminder our time in this culture.
One of our last activities was walking through the mall to remember the people we saw there and hopefully have the opportunity to talk with them. Unfortunately, language proved to be too big of a barrier for talking with them, but we will definitely remember them. One of my favorite places in the mall was this huge ball pit. Temperatures are often below zero here, so malls are huge with lots of things to do. The most adorable children were here and playing with their family and friends. It struck us that we may be the only ones to think about them which broke our hearts. We love these people.
The next day, we had to leave bright and early for the airport. We headed on back to Beijing and then to the US. Of course, it was wonderful to be home again, but I am again so very thankful for the opportunity to visit China and experience some of its amazing culture.
