Itinerary - Part 2

Our thoughts are with everyone at home, dealing with about 3 feet of snow and the worst winter storms for our area in the last 100 years or so!  Glad our kitties are warm and cozy at the pet spa. We are so grateful to our wonderful friends and neighbors taking care of everything and everyone at home!

 

My sister, Lisa, and my nephew Drew are now on a plane to China and will meet up with us in Beijing Friday afternoon our time!  We will also regroup with our friends Melanie and David and their family to tour Beijing, and a quick overnight trip to Xi’an (night of Feb 18^th) before we split paths towards the ends of our journeys. 

 

While in Beijing we are staying in apartments.  We will  have a total of three 2-bedroom/2-bath apartments for our combined group of 14 people!  Each unit has a kitchen, living room and a washer/dryer!!!  We are not sure what it will be like to be in Beijing on the eve of  Chinese New Year (the night of the 13^th).  All restaurants will be closed, we think.  So  after we arrive on the 12^th or the morning of the 13^th we will stock up with provisions and plan on cooking our own meal on that night.  Our apartments are right across the street from a large park and we hope that people will be out and that there will be plenty of fireworks for the kids to enjoy as we ring in the Year of the Tiger together in China!  We were told by our guide from Eliana’s adoption, Bob,  that the flag raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square on the morning of the 14^th is quite a site, but I am not sure if we can make it there by 6am to witness it!

 

Here is our remaining itinerary:

 

·         Friday Feb 12^th,  arrive in Beijing about an hour before Lisa & Drew.  Take van together to Marriott Palm Springs Apartment.  Visit supermarket and stock up!  David and Melanie and family arrive very late Friday night.

·         Saturday Feb 13^th  (New Year’s Eve) – Visit Mutianyu section of the Great Wall.  Although this section is more touristy, it has a cable car to the top, which will be much easier with the kids and the grandparents.  Then free time on our own while our guide and driver spend the evening with their families.  We hope to catch some fireworks at the park across the street!

·         Sunday Feb 14^th (New Year’s Day – Year of the Tiger) – Morning visit to Temple of Heaven, lunch at noodle shop, afternoon visit to the Summer Palace,  Peking Duck Dinner, Chinese Acrobats Show at Chaoyang Theater

·         Monday Feb 15^th – Tiananmen Square & Forbidden City, afternoon at Beihai Park, dinner on our own, optional Kung Fu Show that night

·         Tuesday Feb 16^th – Temple Fair at Temple of Earth, lunch on our own at the temple, afternoon Hutong Tour, Drum & Bell Towers, walk around Bar Street, dinner included, tea tasting at Laoshe Tea House

·         Wednesday Feb 17^th – Drive to Hancunhe Village to experience traditional Chinese folk dance – Yangge, lunch with local family making Jiaozi dumplings for new year, free late afternoon, dinner on our own

·         Thursday Feb 18^th – flight to Xian, check into Sofitel, lunch at a local restaurant, afternoon visit to the Muslim Mosque and the Market, visit City Wall and ride bikes on it, evening Tang Dynasty Dinner Show

·         Friday Feb 19^th – Morning visit to Terra Cotta Warriors, afternoon flight back to Beijing.  David and Melanie & family depart for Shanghai

·         Saturday Feb 20^th – morning  visit to Beijing Olympic sites – Bird Nest and Water Cube, lunch on our own, 5:25pm flight out, magically arrive in Chicago one hour before we left Beijing and Maya becomes a US Citizen!  Arrive back at Dulles right around 9pm.

 

It is a full schedule and we will modify it as needed, and of course one of us is  always only a cab ride away from the apartment if Maya needs quiet time.

 

Next post from Beijing!

 

Hugs,

Laura Beth