Day 1

We had our 1st real day here.
First of all, we had to get 2 rooms. Even though, we got a 'double' room, the beds are more like a large twin, than what we consider a double bed. Now can you imagine David and I both in a twin bed for 2 weeks, or Austin and Darrell having to share a twin bed? The other thing, when you sit down on a bed, you normally expect it to give a little. Not so. It's sort of like sleeping on the floor - carpet though, not hardwood. It didn't really matter too much last night. We were so tired, it probably could have slept anywhere. We have doorbells on our hotel room doors. (We don't even have a doorbell at home.)
We started out today at Tiannamen Square. It was neat and really, really big. But that was it. I guess it just doesn't mean the same things to us that it does to the Chinese people. Sort of like, Arlington makes me all teary. (It probably doesn't do the same thing to them.)
Then we went into the Forbidden City. That was where the Emperor lived. It was unbelievably huge. We went thru gate after gate before we got to where he was ever supposed to have been. The buildings were beautiful, but after awhile they started to all look alike.
We went to a pearl factory and then went to the Summer Palace. That was where the Emperor went to live during the summertime. We rode a boat shaped like a dragon across a lake to get to it. Just like at the Forbidden City, all the buildings have these beautiful paintings all over them in really bright colors with gold trim.
I think we walked for miles today.
The restaurant where we had dinner was one where they kept putting dishes in the center of the table. It spun around and you take what you want off the plates. The duck and the pork and the cabbage was good. The chicken - not so good. They cook the whole chicken. One of the guys at our table ate a chicken foot.
We drove past the Bird's Nest and the Aquatics Center tonight on the way back to the hotel.
Another thing we saw today that I thought was a little different was split pants. I've heard about them, but until today, had not seen them. They put them on babies. It's pants that have the crotch split open from the front waist to the back waist. All these little bare butts are hanging out. I really don't get the concept.