Beijing adventure

Okay, so this has been a whirlwind adventure since we arrived Friday afternoon. Our plane landed in Beijing late afternoon/early evening and we have been moving non-stop since. Saturday morning John and I woke up at 5:00am...we just couldn't sleep in. We went to the breakfast buffet at the Poly Plaza, our hotel, and then met up with our travel group for the tour. The buffet was awesome and there is a picture attached to show how much food was spread across the buffet table. At 8:30am we headed to the Forbidden City. According to our guide, there are 15 million people in Beijing. I believe it! We dodged cars, vans, taxis, bicycles...you name it, to get to the Forbidden City. Following this adventure, we toured Tian An Men Square and then headed to the Jade Factory. We then had a group lunch and headed to the Great Wall with full stomachs. Now, don't forget that most of us are ready for a nap at this point because we are still adjusting to the time and we have already walked miles touring the Forbidden City and Tian An Men Square. The Great Wall was probably the most magnificent site I have ever seen. Four of us decided to climb pretty high and this was no easy task, but we are certified Heroes! I had to hold on to the railing the entire time...going up and back down. I am not a big fan of heights! After the Great Wall, we drove through the Olympic Village and took pictures of the Bird's Nest and Water Cube. Jeff, this photo is for you! (if it works) By the time we returned to the hotel we were hungry again so a few of the families decided to venture out in search of pizza or a KFC. Instead we stumbled upon an Outback Steakhouse! Let me say this...I did not eat! John and I finally went to bed at about 11:30pm last night and then we woke up this morning at 4:00am. We had to meet in the hotel lobby to catch the airport shuttle at 5:45am. I was a little disappointed we were not going to the buffet again, but I hear the White Swan which is where we are for the rest of our trip, has an even better buffet.
 
Our flight was delayed a bit and we arrived at noon here in Guangzhou. It feels just like home, hot and humid. We are going to walk around a little, grab a bite and then get settled in early to get ready for the big day. Hopefully, we will be able to post pictures tomorrow of Adam Longji!Happy Mother's Day everyone!