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| ON 31 AUG 06 JUDITH, ORION, AND I HEADED FOR CHINA FROM CEDAR RAPIDS TO ADOPT OUR DAUGHTER ANNA. AFTER AIRCRAFT MECHANICAL PROBLEMS HELPED US MISS OUR GROUP FLIGHT FROM CHICAGO, WE HAD TO FLY TO CHINA VIA LAX. THAT DELAY MADE OUR TRIP LAST ALMOST AN EXTRA DAY. WE ARRIVED AT OUR HOTEL IN BEIJING AT 0730 ON 2 SEPTEMBER AND WITHOUT ANY SLEEP, CLIMBED ONTO A BUS FOR A TOUR OF THE GREAT WALL AT 0830. ABOVE IS THE GROUP PICTURE TAKEN AT JUYONG GUAN PASS, WHICH IS ABOUT 40 MILES NW OF BEIJING. | |
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| FIRST TOURIST STOP IN CHINA WAS A JADE FACTORY. | IN THE JADE FACTORY THEY EXPLAINED THE VARIOUS TYPES OF JADE, HOW IT WAS CARVED, AND HOW TO TELL GOOD JADE. |
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| WE HAD OUR FIRST MEAL IN CHINA AT A PEOPLES FRIENDSHIP STORE CAFE. A LOT OF FOOD, BUT MOST WAS DIFFICULT TO EAT DUE TO OUR FOOD RESTRICTIONS (NO FRESH FRUITS OR VEGGIES). SO WE HAD LOTS OF MEAT AND RICE. | ORION POSES WITH A FEW FRIENDS FOR SALE AT THE PEOPLES FRIENDSHIP STORE. |
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| WE HAD HAZE EVERY DAY THAT WE WERE IN BEIJING. HERE JUDITH AND ORION POSE AT THE GREAT WALL AT JUYONG GUAN PASS. CLICK HERE TO VIEW A VIDEO TAKEN AT THE WALL. | A VIEW UP THE GREAT WALL AT JUYONG GUAN PASS, WHICH HAS A STEEP SIDE AND A GENTLE SIDE. ORION OPTED FOR THE STEEP SIDE TO CLIMB. WE GOT HIM AN "I CLIMBED THE GREAT WALL" T-SHIRT TO MARK THE EVENT. |
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| JUDITH AND I TAKE IN TIAN'AN MEN SQUARE. IF YOU CLICK HERE, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF WHAT WE SAW, INCLUDING THE LONG LINES TO VIEW MAO IN HIS MAUSOLEUM. YOU WILL ALSO SEE THE NATIONAL MUSEUM, THE MING DYNASTY GATE, THE MONUMENT TO THE PEOPLE'S HEROES, AND THE GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE. IT WAS HAZY/SMOGGY ON THE DAY OF OUR VISIT. SORRY... | MING DYNASTY GATE IN FRONT OF FORBIDDEN CITY WHERE MAO PROCLAIMED THE FOUNDING OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ON 1 OCT 49. |
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| CHEN CHEN OUR "NATIONAL" GUIDE FOR CAWLI, OUR ADOPTION AGENCY. SHE WAS GREAT. HER ENGLISH WAS LIGHT YEARS BETTER THAN OUR CHINESE. | SOME OF THE FORBIDDEN CITY WAS BEING RESTORED IN ANTICIPATION OF THE 2008 OLYMPICS. MARBLE BRIDE IN PICTURE IS ONE OF FIVE IN THIS AREA, WHICH SYMBOLIZE THE FIVE CARDINAL VIRTUES OF CONFUCIANISM. I CROSSED THE BRIDGE OF KINDNESS. |
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| OUR TOUR GROUP IN THE FORBIDDEN CITY. | ORION CONTEMPLATES ENTERING THE HALL OF MENTAL CULTIVATION AT THE FORBIDDEN CITY. |
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| HAPPY CAMPERS IN THE FORBIDDEN CITY. | THE MOAT AND BACK GATE OF THE FORBIDDEN CITY. |
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| THE GARDENS AT THE FORBIDDEN CITY. | JUDITH VIEWS THE IMPERIAL SLEEPING QUARTERS. |
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| ORION TAKES A BREAK IN THE FORBIDDEN CITY. | DETAIL OF DRAGON ON FORBIDDEN CITY ROOF. |
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| WE TOURED BEIJING'S COURTYARD AREA OF HUTONG BY RICKSHAW. | OUR RICKSHAW. |
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| ORION TOURED HUTONG WITH OUR AREA GUIDE. | TYPICAL ALLEY IN HUTONG. |
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