Our 1st Day by Zane

So this morning started around 4:30 for Luke and me, thanks to the jetlag. We both decided to become active for an hour or so and walked around, watched animal jokes, ate beef jerky, and listened to music. Then went back to bed. Around 7:00 we reconvened with the rest of the group and ate breakfast. Most of us enjoyed eating our “American Breakfast” but some of us ate dumplings and Bao zi a traditional Chinese breakfast. Right after we left with Terry (our tour Beijing guide) and his Panda off to see the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven. We also had lunch at a family’s home and rode rickshaws back and forth covering lots of ground in very little time.  The Forbidden City was AMAZING!!!! We walked right into TianAnMen Square, and immediately all of the locals were around us in a frenzy …Especially Alana.  We all concurred that it was her blonde hair that made her a sight to see. We took our firs steps into the City and we were all completely taken over by the amazing art work of the palace. We walked through every temple taking pictures and sharing a few words with the locals there too. Within the palace we heard many interesting stories, and facts about the place. Such as if you were to take a new born baby and let him sleep in a new room every night, he would be 27 years old by the time he slept in all the rooms. COOL RIGHT?! We had an amazing time, no picture can capture the scenery around us all. We then rode the rickshaws into the residential district and ate lunch. The man who owned the home and head of the family had just had a baby boy a month prior and their house was full of decorations for Xue Yue Wai. We had a tour of the area and we learned that the atmosphere in China is much different from that we read in textbooks or see in movies. We rode rickshaws to a bell tour which had the biggest steps I could ever imagine, my track coach would probably consider that my speed endurance training for the day, just going up once. The view from the top was fantastic, even with the polluted hazy skies there was a certain feeling you got at the top that made all of us feel god-like. We came back the Hostel to rest up before having a Uyghar dinner. Uyghar’s are people of the northern most province of China, one of the 56 minority groups of the 7% population of China. This was by far my favorite meal, with their use of spices, and décor we all realized that the stereotypical China we picture is definately not the real one. China is a melting pot of cultures and it would truly take a lifetime to understand and appreciate it all. Well this is the first time I have said 8:30 is past my bed time but I am exhausted!!!

Looking forward to posting!

Zane Homsi

P.S. Thanks for reading! And please leave a comment.

 Warning sign in our shower

 Chinese checkers during breakfast

 On our way to Tiananmen Square

 Random Chinese want their photos with us!

 Huskie pride at Tiananmen Square belltower

 Angelica and Zane get a bit goofy

 The more animals on the ridge, the more important the building

 Dragon gargoyles

 Hooks, Robbie, Zane, Lexy

 Inside the Empress Dowager's quarters

 Inside the first court

 The group reflected in the mirror

 Our fearless leaders Robbie, TJ, Pong, Yan

 Beautiful paintwork inside palace

 The palace toilet, Grace would disagree with the rating!

 Loading onto the rickshaws for the ride to our lunch

 lunch in a family's home

 The crazy steep stairs to the belltower