Beijing Trip

---

BIJING

We recently took a short trip to Beijing and liked this clean, safe, friendly city a lot. We “packed it alllllllllllllllllll in” enjoying every minute! Of course having dear Tannia along, as our friend and guide, helped us out a lot…


Please be sure to scroll down, if necessary, to read the captions that accompany some of the images.

The highlight of our trip was seeing/hiking the Great Wall! Luckily we found a place, two hours from Beijing, where there were no tourists and the wall has not been refurbished. We stayed at a wonderful hostel—where we looked out onto a lake with the wall towering behind it…phew! (getting to the hostel is another story…yes, sometimes you just stand along the road, bargaining for a ride, and then ramble along with happy strangers and maybe a few chickens!)

We arose at 5am to catch the sunrise. It was a cloudy morning but the sun came out when we reached our summit!! Yipee!! At some points we ‘hiked’ on our hands and knees…
The air was cool and fresh, as Beijing is the same latitude as New England, a simply perfectly perfect morning, as my dear Aunt Janet would say…perhaps the highlight of our trips here in China.

We arranged for a ride to Badaling, where most tourists climb the wall (see one picture of crowds). It was a beautiful ride along a river that looked like a canal all lined with weeping willow type trees. And on our right or sometimes left we followed the Great Wall!!

We are blessed with wonderful school children and co-workers, here in China, along with time to explore this fascinating country. Have a peaceful holiday.

Love from Karen and Lindy

---

Photos

1
After an early morning walk it is time for a bite to eat. ..yummy!!!

2
No motorized cycles - just bicycles, and lots of them!!

3
The shoe repair corner.

7
With all the literally thousands of bicycles needing repair every day, sidewalk bike shops can be found on the busy corners of most Beijing streets.

8
Entrance to the "Fobbiden City."

11
This CITY within a city ... huge, vast, impressive

24
Original photograph of the switch board system used inside the "Forbidden City."

15
A long stone stairway .....

15a
Tannia and Karen