started with being sung Happy Birthday to via Skype at 8:00 this
morning. We then bundled up, boarded the bus, and headed to the
Forbidden City, but not before taking a detour to drive around Tian'an
Men Square.
As a tourist, we had to enter via the South Gate and exit via the
North Gate. You are not allowed to turn around. Once you're in, you
keep going until you reach the North Gate and can exit. It was cold
and damp today, probably the coldest day since we've arrived. The City
itself is most impressive and one can only imagine what it was like so
many years ago. There is so much history and so many traditions
embedded within the walls of the city, it truly is fascinating. My
favourite section was the imperial garden. Unfortunately it was cold
and by the time we reached that area, children were tired and hungry,
and many members of the group simply wanted to get a move on and get
to the bus. Keira had already decided at 11:35 that it was lunch time,
and I had taken advantage of the clean, warm bathroom area earlier on
to get her fed so we were okay to keep going. When you're with a group
though, you go with the flow, so go with the flow we did.
After a nap break for Keira back at the hotel and a lunch break for
Oma and Mom, we were back out again shortly after 4:00 to head to one
of the biggest tea houses in Beijing with some of the other group
members. What a neat experience. Again, when we walked into the
building, it was like stepping back in time. We sampled different teas
and were given a lesson as to some of the culture behind the wheres
and whys of tea. Again, very interesting. Keira was extremely good and
drew the attention of many of the girls who worked in the tea house.
Once done at the tea house, our bus driver drove us to a Peking Duck
restaurant to meet up with the other members of our group to enjoy an
awesome dinner. All in all, it was a very good day.
Keira is now sound asleep and I can officially say I have a one year old.
