We took the train to Beijing on Thanksgiving morning, November 25th, 2010. We were a little miffed that our travel agent didn’t get us first class seats, but the 2nd class accommodations were just fine. We were comfortable enough. The trip took just under three hours. They called it a “bullet train”, but it went more like a train and less like a bullet. The other passengers on the train were very civilized and were much nicer travel companions than the Arabs.
We checked into the Double Tree Hotel in Beijing and enjoyed really comfortable accommodations. The shower and the bed were the best we’ve had since we arrived in China. Check out the modern glass wall between the bedroom and bathroom. There was a privacy screen that could be lowered.
The first fun thing we did, after getting checked in was to go to the Silk Market. This is the really big, multi level shopping area. We bought some pretty summer dresses for our grand-daughters, and a couple cashmier sweaters for me (Sue) and a few pieces of Jewelry. Dave got some great Monte Blanc Pens and a pair of binoculars. It was fun to negotiate the prices with the merchants. Prices have gone up since we visited Beijing in 2007. We still got some great prices.
We went to the Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven. These are all places that we saw in 2007, but the review was good.
We’re at the entrance to the Forbidden City. As you can see, we took “flat Zoe” with us wherever we went.
This is the location where Elder McKay dedicated China for the preaching of the Gospel back in 1920. There’s a plaque at the base of the tree, but it’s in Chinese, and we’re not sure what it says.
This is called the “Birds Nest”. It’s a stadium that was built for the Beijing Olympics. It’s really big! There were vendors all over the place, and we bought ten kites in this area.
No, I’m not holding a baby Panda. They’re hats for the grand-kids! We’re at the Summer Palace.
I’m sure that you can tell that it was cold. We forgot to bring hats and gloves, so we purchased them from vendors on the street. Dave got his hat and some ear-warmers for $1.50.
There were a lot of people out enjoying the morning sun-light at the Summer Palace. Some were playing chess or cards. Others were playing badminton, and others were playing musical instruments. It was fun to watch.
This was the Pagoda of Longevity and Happiness at the Temple of Heaven.
The last of our fun activities was a trip to the Great Wall of China. It was a beautiful clear day, and we enjoyed a hike to the highest spot on the wall and back to our bus. It was good exercise, and felt really good. Very invigorating – made me (Sue) feel really alive. Dave said it made him feel like dying.
Our trip to Beijing for the Thanksgiving week-end was wonderful! We had a well-needed break from our daily grind.
On Sunday, we celebrated with a tasty Thanksgiving Feast at the home of Robert and Julia Lewis after church. He’s the church’s branch president in Beijing. We share a virtual church service with them most Sundays on a really big Conference Call via Skype. The food was wonderful, and it was nice to be with other Americans on this holiday of thanks and gratitude. After our meal we went to the train station, and returned to Jinan. It was a great diversion for us!
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