China

Thought I would post a few pictures from our recent trip to China!

 Here is a picture of the excavation of the Clay Soldiers at the largest of three pits.  Each of the figures is about six feet tall and in battle formation,  They guarded the Emperor's tomb in the afterlife.  Each face is individual and likely modeled after an actual person.

 The panda preserve was one full day.  I will post the babies next time.  Sooooo cute.  These pandas were adolescences and fun to watch.

 On top of the Great Wall.  You can see it winding it's way along the ridge of the mountains behind us.  We took a ski lift to reach it, hiked it for a while and then took individual toboggans back down the mountain.

 You do all remember I am afraid of heights.......and they do not stop the lift to let you on and off.......I still have bruises!

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  It was a lot of fun and long enough to really get comfortable enough to play around with your speed.  Faster was better!

 Later that day we went to an ancient area of Beijing.  

We even toured a home that has been there for centuries.  It was close to the Forbidden City and Tienanmen Square.  A family still lives there and will let you stay in one of the guest rooms (behind Ron through the beaded doorway.  Of course there is no bathroom so you have to use a public toiler a few blocks away (really nothing more than a hole in the ground).  And no bath or shower.  They will heat water for you in the primitive kitchen......no thank you.

We also attended a Chinese Opera, the Chinese Acrobats, the Wide and Narrow Street district in Chengdu, saw the Olympic Village, shopped at the Silk Market in Beijing, walk in Tienanmen Square and wandered around the Forbidden City.  We went on the subway, took taxis, hired guides, ate weird and spicy food and bargained with street merchants.  I even petted a monkey that was so sweet I wanted to take it home.  One of the best vacations ever!  

More pictures later!