Day 3 Off to a good start

…..except for the blog….the government seems to be blocking the blogspot site so we are attempting to send this through email and having a friend post each day (or whenever we have email because when we leave Beijing we don’t know how internet connections are going to be)  Anyways thanks Val (Hamilton)! 

Sunshine and blue sky greeted us this morning at 7am as we joined the large group enjoying the breakfast buffet in the hotel.  As we had an 8:30 departure time, we wanted ample time to survey the choices at the buffet and not be rushed.  The variety of food was incredible from full hot food selections including eggs, hash browns, sausage, rice to fresh fruit, cheese plate, cereals, pancakes, assorted breads, muffins and buns as well as juice and coffee.  Several return trips were needed to find all the desired selections.

At precisely, 8:30am we were out the door and onto our SNA coach.  First stop was Tiananmen Square.  We joined many other tour groups as David guided us along the square, and we were able to find our first cache.  As the square is capable of holding 1 million people, we weren’t too crowded!!!  We enjoyed using our headsets, which allowed David to provide a running commentary as we strolled between the various attractions.  A group photo with Chairman Mao in the background was also arranged.

Note the camera on the light & speaker poles

Tienaman Square

Continuing through an underpass, we entered the Forbidden City.  This huge complex of buildings, courtyards, bridges and statues unveiled some amazing architecture and history and of course, our second cache.  Walking through the Imperial Gardens showcased plant, rock and water features and was a peaceful way to end our visit.

Forbidden City

Eight hot dishes were served at lunch, each with a different texture and spice.  Tables for 10 gave us the chance to interact with different members of the tour and compare stories of the long, plane trips from yesterday.

Beijing’s Olympic village was the next stop.  We dodged the many vendors along the way to view the Birdsnest,  Aquaspot and rings and torch.  To get to the Chinese Tea shop, our driver BACKED down the equivalent of 2 city blocks, between numerous  other buses, parked cars and a mahjong game (the players seemed oblivious to him!) Four types of tea were sampled and the opportunity to purchase enticed the first use of our yuan.

Last stop was Peking Duck Dinner.  The food was good, but we think the restaurant had just opened as the staff were very unprepared for service to a large group.  A birthday cake for 2 group members capped the dinner and we returned to our hotel.  Pam, Maureen and Barb then set out to see what was available to them for opticals while Carol stayed back and started the blog entry and got fitted for a jacket that will be made for her before we leave Beijing.