China: Day 2

Mya and her fan club.

Mya receiving her panda bear.

A lady creating a stamp into the jade.

Carved from Jade.

Claire was born in 2007, the year of the pig, which symbolizes wealth.

Dragons are seen all over Korea. They are a mixture of fish, deer, a dragon, snake, bear, etc. so it would include all and unify the country.

Claire being Vanna by a Jade dragon.

Claire and Mya

Me living my horror, picking up hundreds of Buddha's coins. Nightmare!

The Great Wall is in the background.

Yep. This is down. Awful!

Claire smiling now. I think she feels much safer.

The Summer Palace.

The lake surrounded by willow trees.

Yeah. Squatters. Yucko! Thankfully, I was able to avoid these until the 2nd to the last day where I had to use one. Squatting toilets are very common throughout Asia. They are traditional. One of my Filipino friends told me her Mother still squats on a modern toilet as the idea of sitting is very foreign to her. Toilets don't often supply toilet paper nor do they supply paper towels or soap for that matter. Thankfully, we were prepared and brought our own supplies. 

This gentleman was selling candied apples, which seemed to be crab apples coated in a sugary coating. He made them on the spot with a flame under a large pot. Very rustic, yet delicious, I am told.

Our day began with a wonderful breakfast buffet at our hotel as did each of our mornings. It was delicious. Omelets cooked to order, fresh fruit galore, asian dishes, sausages, hash browns, yogurt, etc. You name it, we had it before our eyes. It was yummy. Definitely a great way to start our day.
Day 2 of our travels began with a ride to the Jade factory. We learned a bit about how jade is carved, polished, etc., then wandered around the factory. It was amazing to see the carvings and sculptures made from Jade. The price tags were almost as amazing. Needless to say, we didn't purchase anything. The highlight or highest point of interest in this leg of our adventure was the buddha picture. We stopped to pose by a buddha carved from Jade. In China, people present their monetary offerings to buddhas. This one was no different. There was a stack of Yuan (China's "dollar") and a bowl full of coins. Things were going well until we shifted persons. Disaster struck when Claire bumped the bowl, which resulted in coins and dreams plummeting to the floor. Yep. Embarrassing! So embarrassing! I began picking them up while many passers by looked on. A couple of people stopped to help. Suddenly a second worker came over and basically told me to stop picking up the coins. I am guessing it was due to the fact that it was actually "Buddha's Money." Not sure. All I know it was incredibly embarrassing and the first time I've been embarrassed by my children. I know, I know, it won't be the last and all is fine now. I hope that  this won't be the beginning of a dark cloud following Claire. Charlie assured us that this would not be the case, but who can be sure. We'll be staying away from any other bad omens and staying away from cracks on a sidewalks, the number 6 and anything else that has been linked to bad luck ;)
While in the Jade factory, our girls experienced their first interaction with the paparazzi in China. Mya was in a pack on Chris' back. Salespeople came up to her, held her hand, played with her hair, talked to her, took photos and even gave her a little panda bear. Chinese people have even less experience with Westerners, not to mention blonde haired, green eyed Westerners, so they are mesmerized by them.
After leaving the factory, we made our way to the Great Wall. It was about an hours drive away. The Great Wall was magnificent. It was amazing to think it once stretched 5,500 miles. Only about 900 miles still stand today as parts have been blown up, blocks removed and other portions damaged over time. It was definitely a wonderful sight. We ventured up the wall, hiking easily up the first portion to the nearest landing. Chris carried Claire, while I carried Mya in a carrier on my back. Despite the feeling of preparedness, nothing could prepare us for the 80 degree incline we encountered next. The steps similar to what we often see in Korea, were bumpy, chipped and varied in rise height. There is certainly no building code as we see in the US. Often times, we found steps that were the height of our feet to our knees. It was tough. Chris and I tackled the next 1/3 with our kiddos strapped to our backs facing outward. That was our big mistake. As Chris and I climbed the 80 degree incline, our kids were looking at the ground below. The horror in our minds as to what lied ahead was felt moreso by them as they looked DOWN! Poor kiddos. I knew our climb was over when Mya, the daredevil, started saying, "No Mama." Yep. That was it. We slowly turned around and climbed down as our knees shook with each step. It was incredible. There you have it. We didn't make it to the top, but we did climb the Great Wall--one of the 7 Wonders of the World. Not many people have the opportunity to say that. We are so blessed to have shared this experience!
After the Great Wall, we enjoyed a traditional Chinese food again. The food was still good at this point, rotating table and all. We wandered around a Friendship store which sold souvenirs, etc. Again, it was most likely Government run. Very strange experience as clerks kept close, watching your every move.
We ended our day with a visit to the Summer Palace. Peddlers were plentiful, trying their best to sell hats, scarfs, silk bags, or scam you with counterfeit money. We bought none and tried to keep our distance. It was sad as there were children about 10 years or so, selling items. Truly heartbreaking. The Summer Palace was beautiful. It was the Emperor's Summer home where he spent May to September. It began by a pond, but they decided they wanted a real lake. 3.5 years, 200,000 men and numerous shovels full later, the lake was made. The workers came from all around Beijing for the honor of working for the Emperor. They were not paid, not fed, simply working for the honor. The palace grounds incorporated a bridge similar to Alexander the Great's bridge, along with pagodas, temples and lovely trees. It was gorgeous.
The day ended around 8:00. We were exhausted! It was a jam packed, yet well organized day.