I was fairly disorganized leading up to the trip. I didn't start packing until after midnight and we left the house around 5 AM. Good thing I can sleep really well on planes. We flew from Toronto to Beijing via Chicago.
After being in transit for 20 hours, and losing another 12 hours due to the time zone change, I was very happy to settle into our hotel.
And so were the Quatchis, as you can see. They sure know how to kick back!
The weather the next day was miserable, so the Quatchis had a relaxing day at the hotel. My parents and I braved the freezing rain and slush to visit Tienanmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven. We also saw a Beijing Opera after dinner. I'm glad we saw it, but it wasn't my cup of tea.
We woke up early on Day 3 to head to the Great Wall. The hike was steep and icy because of a blizzard the day before. I was determined to get to the top of the hill.
The Quatchis travelled comfortably in my MEC backpack. They were quite popular with the tourists when I took them out to take photos.
The view of the other side of the wall.
In the afternoon, we visited the Ming Tombs. It was much larger than I expected. Thirteen Ming Dynasty emperors are buried here.
The man himself. And yes, that is money at the bottom of his feet.
The sun came out when we reached my favourite place in Beijing - the Summer Palace.
Can you find the Mins?!?
At the top of Longevity Hill is the Tower of Buddhist Incense.
The Quatchis taking it all in.
Before heading to the airport, we made a quick stop at the Bird Nest. This was a must see for the Quatchis. They love the Olympics after all!
Next stop: Xi'an!
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