I got to see the most beautiful bracelets ever today. We went to the jade factory and got to see how they carve jade jewelry and statues. At the jade factory I was trying to find a pig so I could show Addie Baker how to spell pig in Chinese characters but I didn't end up finding one find one. Sorry, Addie. Mom and I each bought a jade bracelet. I wanted a bangle but I ended up with a stretchy bracelet that I can wear now and when I'm older. The jade was very pretty. It was came in greens, purples and white. There was a chess set with jade chess pieces. That was cool! I was going to buy it for Elsa except it was $1500 US dollars. Sorry, Elsa. After we finished at the jade factory, we went to the Great Wall of China. While we were at the Great Wall, it was raining so by the time we were done we were soaked. We got many got many good mountain view pictures and selfies. The steps were weird to climb. They weren't a consistent height. Running up them is hard but going every 3rd is easier. We only walked a little section of the wall. When we were coming back to the buses, I accidentally to pointed out something from one of the street vendors I was interested in. She was trying hard to lure us over there and trying hard to get us to buy it. We didn't end up buying it. I now know not to draw to attention to those things. On the way back to the hotel, I learned that my favorite car is a three wheeled motorcycle type thing. Some you pedaled like a bike and some had motors. Some you could fit 4 people and some only one person and cargo. Some had shells over them so they looked like cars and some looked like wagons. We ran into a weird traffic jam. The cars were facing every which way. There was a green car parked that was sticking out in the lane our bus was in so our tour guide had to get out and stop traffic so we could get around it. Tonight we are going to go to a Peking duck restaurant and then to a KungFu show. I'm excited for the show!
~Lydia
As Lydia said, we we went to the jade factory today. Craig and I went there last time we were in Beijing. Lydia and I got some pretty bracelets. Then we went to the Great Wall. Craig and I also climbed the wall last time we were here but we were in a different section. Today, we had to take a cable car up a mountain to get to the wall. That was a little freaky. I'm not a fan of things like that but I did ok. It was raining, so the steps of the Great Wall were a little slippery. If it had been a dry day, we probably would have ventured over more of the wall. It is so beautiful and is definitely my favorite part of Beijing. It is about an hour and a half drive from the city center so it is very green around that area and the unpleasant odor of the pollution in the city is gone. When we came down off the wall, we noticed a Subway among the shops and some blaring Lionel Richie music they were playing. Lydia was SO excited to get a Subway sandwich!
The traffic is crazy. I've never been to NYC but I'm sure it is sort of like that except that no one obeys any parking guidelines. They will pull right up on the sidewalk edge and park. They park facing all different directions. It is totally nuts. And, no one bothers to call the police or a tow truck. They just don't even address it. They couldn't even begin to tap into the problem because it is so widespread. There are just a TON of people and cars. Apparently there is a lottery system to get to purchase a car. You can't just go buy a car and license it. You can buy it, but your name has to be chosen in the lottery to get to license it. And then you can only drive on certain days depending on the last number of your license plate in an effort to control the air pollution. According to our travel guide, it is working.
We saw many children on their way home from school today riding on the back of their parent or grandparent's bicycle with their backpacks in the basket that is attached to the front. The children get 2 months for summer break so they are still in session. They get about 6 weeks for winter break. They all wear uniforms. The children begin school at age 6 and go through high school until they take college entrance exams. If they pass, they get to go to college. If not, they can go to trade school or some other type of training. For example, if you want to be a national swimmer (and you are good enough), you get to go to swimming school. The focus is swimming but they also teach you math, science, etc. It used to be that only about 40% of the kids who took the college entrance exams would pass and get in. Now, since they have more universities and have controlled the population to some extent with the former one child policy (now they have a 2 child policy), 90% who want to go to college get to.
Our guide tried to teach us to read some Chinese today. I absorbed none of it. I can only recognize Lydia's Chinese name.
Well, off to Peking duck for dinner and a Kung Fu performance tonight. Tomorrow the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace. Wednesday we fly to Chongqing which is the general area Lydia is from.
~Lydia
As Lydia said, we we went to the jade factory today. Craig and I went there last time we were in Beijing. Lydia and I got some pretty bracelets. Then we went to the Great Wall. Craig and I also climbed the wall last time we were here but we were in a different section. Today, we had to take a cable car up a mountain to get to the wall. That was a little freaky. I'm not a fan of things like that but I did ok. It was raining, so the steps of the Great Wall were a little slippery. If it had been a dry day, we probably would have ventured over more of the wall. It is so beautiful and is definitely my favorite part of Beijing. It is about an hour and a half drive from the city center so it is very green around that area and the unpleasant odor of the pollution in the city is gone. When we came down off the wall, we noticed a Subway among the shops and some blaring Lionel Richie music they were playing. Lydia was SO excited to get a Subway sandwich!
The traffic is crazy. I've never been to NYC but I'm sure it is sort of like that except that no one obeys any parking guidelines. They will pull right up on the sidewalk edge and park. They park facing all different directions. It is totally nuts. And, no one bothers to call the police or a tow truck. They just don't even address it. They couldn't even begin to tap into the problem because it is so widespread. There are just a TON of people and cars. Apparently there is a lottery system to get to purchase a car. You can't just go buy a car and license it. You can buy it, but your name has to be chosen in the lottery to get to license it. And then you can only drive on certain days depending on the last number of your license plate in an effort to control the air pollution. According to our travel guide, it is working.
We saw many children on their way home from school today riding on the back of their parent or grandparent's bicycle with their backpacks in the basket that is attached to the front. The children get 2 months for summer break so they are still in session. They get about 6 weeks for winter break. They all wear uniforms. The children begin school at age 6 and go through high school until they take college entrance exams. If they pass, they get to go to college. If not, they can go to trade school or some other type of training. For example, if you want to be a national swimmer (and you are good enough), you get to go to swimming school. The focus is swimming but they also teach you math, science, etc. It used to be that only about 40% of the kids who took the college entrance exams would pass and get in. Now, since they have more universities and have controlled the population to some extent with the former one child policy (now they have a 2 child policy), 90% who want to go to college get to.
Our guide tried to teach us to read some Chinese today. I absorbed none of it. I can only recognize Lydia's Chinese name.
Well, off to Peking duck for dinner and a Kung Fu performance tonight. Tomorrow the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace. Wednesday we fly to Chongqing which is the general area Lydia is from.
~Carla
Absolutely amazing!! I hope to visit the Great Wall one day!
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