Day 2

HAPPY MOON FESTIVAL!
FYI - I'm able to get my email, but I don't seem to be able to send email.
I couldn't update last night, I couldn't get online.
A few notes about China. China seems to be a very clean place so far. We were talking to a man yesterday, and he told us that they recycle trash to make electric - maybe that's why.
Another thing, Chinese people are very friendly, polite people. For instance, there was a really nice (Korean?) man helping Darrell with his chopsticks at breakfast.
By the way, I'm getting pretty good at squatty potties.
We started out yesterday by going to church. It was an international church service, but regular Chinese people are not allowed in. We had to show our passport to get in. Our guide had to wait outside. We sat on the 3rd floor balcony. The building is a theatre the other 6 days a week, and a church on Sundays. That must have been the sleeping section, because I counted 14 people asleep. We only sang one time, but it was a like 3 songs at once - it lasted about 15 minutes. It would be in Chinese, then English, then Chinese, then English, then Chinese and on and on and on. The sermon was the same way, it was in English first, and then in Chinese.
There are 5 legal religions in China. If someone is in the military or works for the government though, they are not allowed to proclaim a particular religion. They are also not allowed to marry until age 23 or apply for a certificate to have their child until age 25. Chinese people do not see this as consticting though. They have much more freedom than ever before.
On the way out, part of the kids in our group were offered a small spotlight on some Chinese television show. Alas, we had to turn them down.
Some of the blonds in our group are quite popular here. We get stopped a lot to pose for pictures - sometimes alone and sometimes with other people.
We went to a jade factory, and to a cloisonne factory. I had no idea how tedious the work is making that stuff. It was so amazing. If I make that stuff, I'd charge a fortune for it.
After that we went to the Great Wall. It was a surreal experience. The mountains we saw flying in - that's where the Great Wall is. I can't imagine the people that built it, way back when, because just walking on it is really, really something. We walked together for awhile, and then of course three of the boys took off. I don't even know how far they went, but I know it was a lot farther than we did.
We check out of this hotel this afternoon. We are flying to Guangzhou on China Air later today. We get Leila tomorrow.