DAY 92 - WELCOME TO BEIJING, CHINA

Originally we were not going to post until we got back to the ship.  However, at the last minute we decided to bring our computer with us.

We have three days and two full nights in Beijing as part of a land program.  We are doing  a combination land program using the Crystal Land Program combined with a Private Excursion.  On Day 1 and Day 3 we are traveling with friends Bob and Glo, and on Day 2 we are traveling as a group.

Keith first visited Beijing in 1994 on a business trip and during that trip had the weekend when he visited Forbidden City, Tianenmen Square and The Great Wall.  This is Anne Marie's first visit to Beijing.  Back in 1994 the majority of locals used bicycles in the city and when Keith drove out to The Great Wall much of the ride was on dirt roads.  This was a time when most of the locals wore mainly gray clothing.  Times have changed.  The Beijing of today is much different than that timeframe.  One mainly see vehicles in Beijing with many luxury cars.  Local wear more contemporary clothing.  The dirt roads have been replaced with major highways.  After all, China as a whole has come along way since that time.

On Day 1 we traveled by mini-van with Bob and Glo.  We were picked up at 9:00 AM at the Cruise Ship Terminal and drove into downtown Beijing.  We had a driver and a tour guide.  Our tour guide went by the name Eric which was easy for us to remember as this is our sons name.  His Chinese name is Jin.

The major sites we visited were Tianenmen Square and Forbidden City.  We also stopped for some coffee right before we went to the Pearl Market.  The Pearl Market carries a wide range of items from high end Pearls to copy items.  We looked but did not purchase anything.

It was a fairly cold day so we dressed appropriately.

The three Chinese people asked if using their camera they could get a photo of us since they don't see that many Westerners.  We then asked if they would like to get into a photo with us.

These photos were taken at Tianenmen Square.

 Photos inside Forbidden City

Our tour guide, Eric.

Nine is a lucky number and also was for the Emperor.  There are nine dragons on the wall.

We were taken to an area that only the small guides can go to.  The next several photos are from that area.

This tree is over 400 years old.

 You will often see two lions.  One is a female and the other is a male.  The female always has a baby lion and is placed on the right hand side.

Baby Lion.

Again, you see nine of these objects.

Later in the afternoon we were taken to our the China World hotel located in Beijing for check-in.  The vast majority of World Cruisers stayed at this hotel while most other guest stayed at the Peninsula Hotel.  Both are fantastic hotels and the two hotels were needed to accommodate almost 800 guests and escorts who were assigned to one of these hotels.

A special area was arranged for our check in.  Check in was a breeze and then there was another area where we could make dinner reservations.

We made a reservation for dinner for the first night for the two of us.  We ate at a restaurant call Aria which served continental cuisine.

For tomorrow, we made a reservation to dine with Friends Bob and Glo.

TODAY'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY.........

 “Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm ... As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” -  Audrey Hepburn

Keith and Anne Marie