Forbidden City and Great Wall tour

• We started our day at 6:30 this morning ate breakfast at about 7:30, which we are NOT allowed to photograph??? I was scolded when I tried 0-:   I guess they think we might run off to America and copy their room design, and options?? We then met the group at 8:30 in the Lobby and took a bus across town to the Forbidden City, and Tienanmen Square.  The crowds there were INSANE!!  Our guide estimated around 60,000 people were touring there today.  Many were there to go inside the memorial place where Chairman Mao's body was kept to worship:(  We skipped!  This place is HUGE!  We walked about 3-1/2 miles inside of it!  then ate lunch and toured a Jade factory.  Jade is expensive!  We didn't buy any.  There was a ship carved out of it that cost about60,000 dollars! The cheapest thing was a small animal, or a pendant for a necklace......no chain...... for 28.00.  Then we drove an hour to the Great Wall........at risk to life and limb!  We were on a 16 passenger, small bus......we got in a traffic jam, and the driver did a 3 point turn........well maybe a 9 point turn, in the middle of a narrow...PACKED street!  CRAZY!!  But he made it, and we lived to tell.  The Great Wall was amazing, and we hiked up STEEP, steps that were all different heights.  Approximately 75 stories total that were hiked. Our legs were like jelly when we got down.  We drove by where the Beijing Olympics were held and saw the birds nest. Then  we went back to the motel.......and our guide service was done for the day.........so we and and another couple from our group attempted to find a place to eat.  Crossing the streets here reminds you of playing the game frogger!!  Jumping from log to lily pad, and avoiding getting hit.   After walking in to 2 different nicer restaurants and being ignored.....no one wanted to make eye contact......we went back to the little hole in the wall, back street joint we ate at last night.  It was GOOD:)  We were first escorted to an upstairs dining area that was THICK with smoke....we were trying to ask if there was a non smoking area.......it was hilarious, the poor girl couldn't figure out what we wanted so she called over another boy, who assured us through much head nodding and gestures that it was OK for us to smoke.....ummmm not what we wanted!  We finally got him to understand that we DIDN'T want to smoke! Whew!  Then we proceeded to attempt to order.  I don't think one person in the place spoke English!  And none of us spoke Chinese.  We would point to something.........asking each other if that's what we wanted....meanwhile the Waitress would write it down.  We would have to point again and tell her NO we don't want it.......we were VERY thankful that the menu had pictures of the food, otherwise we would have been in SERIOUS trouble with the ordering!  We probably would have ended up with chicken feet or ducks head.......and YES they were both on the menu!  

There are 4 couples in our GWCA group.  1 from Spokane Washington, 1 from Ashville, NC, 1 from Detroit area, and the other I can't remember??  She's originally from Australia, and has a delicious accent!  The lady from Detroit area is originally from  New Zealand, we love listening to her too!  So far we've really enjoyed all the people and group.   We also saw a LOT more kids today as it was a Saturday.  They must have all been in school or daycare yesterday.  I had fun looking at all the 5 year olds:)   I will try to get some pictures posted tomorrow eve.  They take forever to load, and I have to get up at 5:00 to get ready to head to the airport.  So Goodnight all!  Thanks for your encouraging words and prayers, we love hearing from you all!  Love you!