The Great Wall of China

What a day! We started early and headed out by bus to the Cloisonne Factory and got to see some beautiful pieces being made.

On the way there we got to see more of Beijing. This is the biggest city I have ever been in. I know we drove at least an hour before we came to the end of skyscrapers and tall apartment buildings. Once we did leave Beijing we were in the mountains and got our first glance of the Great Wall of China.

Absolutely amazing! The Great Wall was breathtaking. It is the rainy season here and we have not seen the sun, so it made it difficult to see how far the Great Wall expands over the mountains. We took a lift up to the Great Wall and then hiked the rest of the way to the top. There were so many people that we learned the Chinese way of getting around. Just push! No manners, just keep pushing your way through or you will never get anywhere.

We have really become close with some of the couples in our travel group and it has just been so awesome to be here with all of them.

The children that have already joined their families have been such a joy to be around. They have bonded and adapted so well. We got into major traffic issues and got back to the hotel 3 hours later than anticipated. The kids all did awesome. The adults on the other hand, were ready for rest!

On the way back to the hotel, we drove through the Olympic village. It was so neat to see. There was a soccer game going on at the Bird’s Nest tonight so the area was very busy. We did not stop, but did take some pictures from the bus. (The Bird's Nest and The Aquatic Cube ...)
We finally were able to connect and talk to the boys on Skype tonight. They are having a ball and even though they say they miss us, we really don’t believe them.
Well, we are heading to bed soon. We have another day here of sightseeing before we fly to Isabella’s province. We have to keep pinching ourselves … can’t believe we are only a day and a half away from meeting our daughter. Thank you all for your prayers and support. God has blessed us with such supportive family and friends.