The Jade Factory, Great Wall and Olympic Park

Today was another packed day, and we truly enjoyed being tourists.  The Great Wall was approximately 1 1/2 hours away with traffic.  (The traffic in Beijing, even on the weekend, is killer.  Approximately 24 million people live here.)  On the way, we stopped at a lovely jade factory and received a lesson on how jade was cultivated and carved. 

One of many workers carving the jade

The jade balls that they are working on are actually two balls within a larger ball, representing the three generations of family.  Some had three balls within a larger one.  We bought a small one to take home.

We learned that jade comes in many colors and there is hard and soft jade.  Hard jade is used to make jewelry and soft jade is used for carvings.

This is the souvenir Tim really wanted...a jade tiger.  It only cost approximately $70,000.  We would have to have bought it another seat on the plane. :)

After the jade factory, we made our way to the Great Wall.  It was truly awe inspiring.  I made it to the first stop on the difficult side, but there was so much pressure in my ears, I had to then make my way down.  The scariest part was actually going down because the steps are so steep and uneven.  There were also a lot of visitors there today and walking around some that stopped for breathers was a little scary.

The right side of the Great Wall was not as steep as the left.

Tim and me before climbing the Great Wall

We made it up to the first tower.  At that point, the pressure in my ears was making me too dizzy to go any farther.

I thought this was a funny sign...

The steps were so steep it was like climbing up and down a ladder.

Tim doing his "Rocky" move at the top

Our view of the other side from the top

The right side was a little less steep than the left.

This is where we climbed.

After the Great Wall, we stopped at a lovely Chinese restaurant for lunch.  They brought us fish that was the entire fish, eyes, head, and all, along with other dishes.  We enjoyed, but really liked the restaurant yesterday better.

Then, we stopped at the Olympic Village on our way back.

This is a series of hotels developed for the Olympics in the shape of a dragon.

We're standing in front of the "bird's nest," the Olympic stadium.

You can catch a glimpse of the traffic in Beijing.

Our final stop was to an acrobatic show.  The show was much like a Cirque de Soliel performance in the states.  The acrobats were wonderful and I had popcorn and chocolate covered sticks (like thin cookies) called Pocky as snacks.  I really enjoyed the Pocky.  (You know I'm a chocolate lover.)  Below are some pics of the show.

Tomorrow, we're taking a morning flight into Hefei, the capitol of Chloe's province.  On the eve of leaving Beijing, I want to share with you a few thoughts on some things I've learned thus far on the trip.

1. Drivers definitely have the right of way.  I think it is perfectly okay for them to run over pedestrians.
2. Going to the bathroom in the "squatty" potty is more complicated than you think (if you are a girl).  You definitely need to have the perfect amount of squat and angle to be successful.  (I am proud to say that I was successful at this feat.)
3. There appears to be a shortage of toilet paper in Beijing.  At times there is a community roll, where you take a few squares before you enter the individual stalls, but often there is none in the dispenser.
4. It is perfectly okay to spit on the sidewalk, on the streets, etc.  You see nice, respectable old women do this.

Can't wait to post from our next location!  We are getting closer and closer to meeting Chloe!