The lobster at breakfast The gang
Smaller hall at the Ming Tombs
What a day!! We started out at 3 am here - Tian could not get back to sleep. It was a long morning. We headed down to breakfast- wish you all could have seen the boys' faces...I forgot to remind them about Chinese breakfast. It is kind of like dinner. Soup, meat dishes, dumplings. They were all set for an American buffet - eggs , bacon, cereal- they were good sports though and tried some new things- soybean sald, fish for breakfast, dumplings. In the dining area they also had tanks of fish, lobsters and crabs - 2 of the lobsters were among the largest I have seen. We didnt ask how much they were :o)
Our guide met us at 7:30 and we headed for the Ming Tombs. This was very similar to the Forbidden City in style- they were commissioned by the same emperor(3rd of the Ming dynasty) The tombs were built as a place for the Emperor and Empress to spend their afterlife. In fact, there is gate in the courtyoard to symbolize the entrance from the mortal to the spirit world. The area is surrounded by mountains ( we could only see some due to the heavy smog) and many evergreen trees- it was very peacful. Inside the great Hall ( which is as large as the Great hall of the 
Forbidden Palace) there were glass cases filled with relics - gold plates, bowl chopsticks for the Emperor, silver for the Empress, Gold and silver ingots,gorgeous silk robes, head pieces, armor and Ty's favorite - a giant staue of the emperor. Tian commanded great attention for the other tourists as she danced around 
and shouted when we grabbed 
her(armour for Emperor).
Forbidden Palace) there were glass cases filled with relics - gold plates, bowl chopsticks for the Emperor, silver for the Empress, Gold and silver ingots,gorgeous silk robes, head pieces, armor and Ty's favorite - a giant staue of the emperor. Tian commanded great attention for the other tourists as she danced around 
and shouted when we grabbed 
her(armour for Emperor).This is a shaft believed to be escape tunnel for those who buried the Emperor
Then for the most exciting part of the day.... we headed back to the tour bus and several police officers followed us and questioned our tour guide and bus driver...Our guide assured us this happened occasionally as they were checking to make sure our guide was licensed- a crowd began to gether and we began to wonder...then we had to get off the bus ...our driver did not have the proper paperwork! Luckily we were able to join another group to head to the Great Wall. I am not sure they were glad to add 6 more to their group, but they were good sports.
On the way tto the Wall we visited a Jade factory - in other words we toured a jade factory so they could convince us to buy large quantities. The jade was gorgeous - I didn't remeber that jade is nearly as hard in diamond and can scratch glass. We saw an artisan shape a bangel and another polish a dragon figurine. Then we toured the shop...we made it our the door empty handed :o( It was VERY expensive, but the jade was gorgeous ranging in color from pure white - to deep green - to this year's trademark - a red agate. The jade is supposed to release minerals to you as you wear it so many people wear it for theapuetic benfits - the jade also turns a deeper green the more it is worn. It is tradition in China for a mother to give her daughter a jade bangel when she becomes a woman....when we came to China the first time we purchased a bangel to give Tian when she turns 16 - I will keep you posted when she asks if she has to wear it :o)
Next, we headed to a enamel pot factory - did you know that those vases are copper inside then they glue on pieces of copper wire for the design, fill it by hand with enamel, fire it, refill the empty spots, fire it again and then polish it ? It was amazing - this was an interesting tour and then we headed upstairs to the restaurant, but not before Tian got to see her first Chinese toilet...her workd summed it up "What's that? Why?" she was a good sport!
Lunch was great - typical Chinese style lunch, many dishes to try on a lazy Susan in the center of the table - Tian wanted tea, but informed the waitress, " That coffee is NASTY!" She loved the soup ( hot and sour), ate a plate full of oranges and made sure she had some of everything on her plate. It was fun and when the guide asked Ty if he would have rather gone to Pizza Hut - he said, "No way!! This is a treat" It will be interesting how he feels about that next week.
On to the Great Wall - we passed the section that Tom and I saw last year and headed for the older section Badaling - it is twice as high and longer. It was built over 2000 years ago. I can't wrap my head around it - just conceiving of the idea and thinking it was possible blows my mind. Looking at it in person - winding up these steep mountians - doubling back over itself is amazing it was surreal. Although TOm and I had already seen it - it was as amazing as it had been the first time. If only we could all have the vision of an emperor.... At this section of teh wall you can ride a cable car up ( see the picture) The boys loved it - especially going down. We were able to climb a fair amount before Tom nearly died carrying Tian. She is no light weight! The steps are all uneven and let's put it this way - it would never be open to the public in the US - many dangerous spots and after me freaking out several times as Tian peaked and ran she finally had to be strapped into the baby carrier and thank goodness Tom offered to carry her. The views were breathtaking!!! but heights and my children standing on ledges aren't a good combo - I was glad to head back down... AT this section of teh wall they also have among MANY shops - several enclosure with bears. Tian couldn't get enough of them. They were VERY animated and they allowed people to throw fruit them so the would stand on their hind legs and patted their paws together - it was very cute.
They boys experience the hard sell today - people following them - nearly begging them to buy anything. Tom ended up with a tshirt he didn't really want...he is a little too soft hearted. Tian manged to get a pretty little purse and Ty bough himself a wooden sword with a wooden sheath - pretty impressive for $1.50!!
bears - oh my
The scary trolley ride - operated manually with a handbreak onthe way down....
Too bad teh pollution was so bad you couldn't see the mountains....
Can you imagine building this - or even thinking it was possible now ...2000 years ago??!!!
The precarious perch
On the way home we had one last commercial break as one of our fellow tourist called them , at a silk factory. I had no idea...did you know that first they use the silkworm dropping for traditional chinese medicine and the dead caterpilalrs for headaches??? Remind me not to go to the pharmacy here. I also did notknow that 2 silk worms often join up to make one cocoon, the color of silk can naturally range from white to deep yellow dependent onthe diet of the worm. Now, for me the most fascinating of all was the process in which they harvest the silk - the cocoon is boiled unitl it is soft, the caterpiller(s) are removed and then the cocoon is streced, like a purse over a hoop. This is repeated 25 times, then it is allowed to dry . Once dry it brought to the factory, where 80 of these "purses" are stretched out like quilt batting on a frame. SO it is layered - this makes the lining for silk bedding. It is very strong, won't bunch up when youwash it and won't hold dust - it was really neat. The silk fabric ahs to spun and woven...and is not so cheap( even in China) needless to say I didn't come home with the gorgeous bedspread I really wanted...
On our way back to the hotel we were able to drive past the facilities or the upcoming Olypics here in Beijing - WOW!!!
bubble building is the aquatics center -it was being used today for an international competition 
FInally we headed home and evryone is passing out getting ready for our next adventure
