Yesterday was another great day. We really enjoy touring with the other couples and seeing the sites. It was a very HOT and long day. Benjamin went to "nap" at 4 p.m. but slept until 7 a.m. this morning!!
Ben slept in yesterday too so we packed breakfast from the buffet for him to eat in the van on the 1 hr. ride to the Great Wall. We met our guide, Shirley, and the other other families downstairs at 8:00 a.m. Traffic was horrible even for a Saturday. According to Shirley, everyone heads out of the city into the country for the weekends.
Our first stop was a Jade Factory for a tour and demonstration on the various types of jade. Very interesting - over 80% of jade originates in China. Then, on to the big sell. We had an hour in the shop before meeting our guide. We purchased a rat pendent for BenBen (year of the "rat"), a serpent statue for Sam (year of the "serpent"), a Buddha for Sam (just because they're cute -- and look like BenBen) and a "Happiness" pendant for me. According to Shirely, this is a legit place so we purchased our first souvenirs.
The next stop was The Great Wall....WOW! Breathtaking to see in person. We drove up a mountain - winding curves - and then Ben projectile vomited. The orphanage had warned us of motion sickness. Not so good. No spare clothes - just lots of water and wipes to clean up.
The pictures do not do the Great Wall justice. It was a beautiful day but VERY hot. A nice breeze at times though. The Wall is over 4,100 miles long so there are many entry points. Mostly all Chinese touring but a few Europeans and even a few Americans. We hiked to the first tower (at our entry point) and it was AMAZING!!! I wish we had time, without kiddos, to spend an entire day. It's that beautiful. The steps are insanely uneven and extremely steep. I carried BenBen on my back in the Ergo carrier to the tower. People were in amazement...even cheering me on. It was hysterical. Mama is strong like BenBen!!! I must admit, my legs are still shaking this morning but it was worth it!!!! Ben enjoyed every step - giggling as I bounced him down every stair. Once in a lifetime, I wasn't going to miss it! :)
We then headed to lunch at a major tourist spot with large souvenir shop. Would not have been our first choice and the food was just ok. Our group sat at a round table with a lazy Susan of preordered food -- not knowing what anything was. I ate something that kinda looked like fried shrimp...but didn't taste like it. Hmmm......Sam ate some white rice. Nothing else. Ben liked the chicken and that's about it. No noodles served this day. Sam purchased an ink stamp with his name engraved in English and Chinese. Our group would have preferred a local Chinese restaurant vs. dining amongst 4 dozen touring buses. Our guide left to eat "hamburgers" with her niece visiting from the US, so we were on our own...and totally ignored by the wait staff. No drinks offered to us while all the Chinese around us were served. We weren't feeling the love....Sam finally got up and grabbed a pitcher of water from a cart. Hope it wasn't tap water!
From there we visited the Summer Palace....this was the Imperials summer home and spans nearly 700 acres, including a large man made lake. We walked along the lake and took a dragon boat back to the entrance. It was a beautiful place but still extremely hot, crowded and overloaded with vendors trying to sell us any/everything. The vendors are extremely persistent and don't take no for an answer. It's a shame...such a beautiful park but we're so distracted by the constant picture taking (of us) and the vendors...and the pushy crowds. For the most part, the Chinese don't have "personal space" and have no issue invading yours. Sam is like a rock star!!! I can't count how many people have pulled him aside to have their pictures taken with him.
Finally, back to the hotel...and some rest! BenBen got a bath while Greg visited "Happy Hour". Sam watched a movie and I typed the blog (which was lost)....Ben was overly tired so we put him down for nap at 4:00 p.m. He fought for 20 minutes or so but finally fell asleep. We ordered cheese pizza room service and drank a few Chinese beers (excellent by the way!). Then off to bed.
All in all, a very good day. BenBen only experienced 1 real meltdown.....and it was totally justified!! It was a very long day and he was very tired and couldn't be consoled at one point on the way to the hotel...only lasted about 5 minutes. He's such a stinkin' cutie pie and feeling more and more a part of our family every day. He's getting the routine and definitely seems bonded to us. He cried hysterically when Greg left us yesterday at the Great Wall to use the bathroom. He's definitely attached to us as a "family" and that's a wonderful thing!!!
Also, on the way back to our hotel, Shirley took the microphone and asked us (and the 2 other couples) if we knew about "Destiny"? In Buddhism, destiny is a huge foundation of their beliefs. She stated there are millions of orphans all over the world but these children were brought into our lives by destiny. She stated we must have prayed 500+ years each to be brought together as a family. Greg has some catching up to do!! She said she's always moved by the families and their children because she witnesses first hand destiny at work. I have always been a firm believer that things happen for a reason -- call it destiny. I was definitely moved by her statement. There is no question BenBen was destined for our family. He fits in perfectly -- and couldn't be more of a Schultz if we'd created him ourselves!!! We love him so much and are learning more about him every day. His communication is improving daily and that is helping all of us. He wants so badly to communicate with us and is always so proud when we understand something he says. He is a very happy boy and captures the heart of everyone who meets him. Can't wait for him to meet everyone back home!!!
Off to tour! Only 2 more days until Guangzhou!!!!
http://schultzfamilylife.shutterfly.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment