Day 1

Ni Hao! Sorry about the lack of pictures...We can't get them to load for some reason. That doesn't mean that we won't get them up later. Tonight, I am too tired and have tried five times - we will try again once it settles down and we have time in our hotel room. Today, we began the day at 7:30 am with a trip to a Jade factory. From there, we went to Great Wall. It was much more packed with people than any pictures show! This was a great thrill for Morgan! He and Mike climbed to the first tower. At the top, some teenage girls took pictures with Morgan and had a bit of a conversation. He loved the wall and was so proud of how high he climbed. From the wall, we went to a shopping area and restaurant. We have pictures that we will post later of the delious dishes - fish head and all...Morgan and I just ate rice and savored some Coca Cola! We made our way to the Forbidden City, but ended up detouring to the Summer Palace because of the time and the hours of operation at the Forbidden City. We walked and walked at the Summer Palace to ride a marble boat. Once we got there, we found out it was not operating because of a lack of water...So, we walked and walked some more! Then, we crashed in on the home of an American doctor living with his family in Beijing. There, we had barbecue. It was a marathon day, but good to experience the sights, sounds, and smells. There are a little over 14 children with our group and they are all troopers! Tomorrow, it is off to an International Church, Forbidden City, and the airport to fly out to our respective provinces. Another long day in store! Good night from Beijing!