(Allen's Entry) I don't think I will be as poetic in my descriptions as Maile, but she is busy getting our things ready for the trip to Changsha tomorrow. Today was one of those days where there was really too much to see and too little time to see it. Yesterday, we had spent three quarters of the day at the Summer Palace, and we missed much of it simply because we ran out of time and energy. So you can imagine how much we missed today, when we divided up the hours between Tianmen Square, Forbidden City, and the Great Wall of China. 
We awoke at around 6:30am, had some breakfast, and then crowded down into the hotel lobby with other families for "tour day." Three buses full of adopting parents took to the road shortly after 8:30am, enroute to Tianmen. Along the way, we saw a truck pull up beside us, stacked double high with lambs in the back. It is not something we see every day in the states, so many of us were gawking at the sight and making cracks to each other that we somehow doubted that these lambs were going to live on a farm. As I turned to look out the other window, I saw a Beijing City bus on the other side, filled with people gawking at us in much the same way we were at the sheep. It is a funny thing, life. It serves up its share of irony when you least expect it.
(Maile's notes) I'll try to finish up here. Yes, we did try to see too much in too short a time and so too, it seems, did half of China. Tianmen Square and the Forbidden City were just swelling with people that it would be very easy to get separated in a blink of an eye. Luckily we have been well trained by now to look for the green GWCA flag that our guide, Veronica, carries around. We walked past a line at least a mile long encircling the mausoleum that holds the glass coffin of Chairman Mao and the people on pilgrimage and various tour and school groups to view his body. For the low, low price of 10USD, you could buy 3 rolex watches and for the even lower price of 6USD you could buy a lovely Chairman Mao watch (Maile's dad bought 2) where Mao will eternally wave his hand, or at least until the battery runs out.
The tour of the Forbidden City was fascinating even though much of it is under scaffolding. We all definitely want to watch The Last Emperor again now that we have actually been to the site. You can see a drastic difference in the parts that have been restored from those still awaiting a little freshening up. If you've seen enough movies, or read enough books about China's history and Emperor's it's easy to try to imagine the goings on within the walls of the Forbidden City.
After our brisk tour, we made our way to a restaurant for lunch near the Great Wall. This was no mere restaurant, it was a cloisonne factory, vast (and I do mean vast) gift shop selling not only cloisonne, but silk, rugs (I told Allen we needed another one for the house to go with the one I bought in India, but he wasn't going for it) and trinkets of all sorts. I think we'll save most of our shopping for when we get to Changsha and Guanzhou. I know Changsha, at least, will have to be somewhat cheaper than a pre-determined stop for all of the tour buses.The Great Wall is certainly a great wall. I think we all underestimated the number of stairs involved in actually walking it. It was a magnificent view no matter how high you went up though.
On the way back, Veronica gave us more detailed info. about what we can expect as far as the rest of the trip and the details of the steps in the whole adoption process. Most of it, we will have to relate to you when it actually happens as my head is still swimming from the experience of being in China combined with the fact of why we are here in the first place! We did find out that we will get to meet Amelie about 5 1/2 hours earlier than expected on Monday. I can tell you, my heart fluttered at that news. I started feeling a little verklempt (sp?) just thinking about it. What will we be like on the morning of Gotcha Day!!
To top it off, Martin came by with a gift of a silver locket for Amelie that is supposed to be put around her neck when she is one month old (but Martin thinks we can be flexible on the time frame considering the circumstances). The locket is meant to go on the baby at one month old to lock their mind and spirit to this world. As a symbolic gesture, you remove it when they are about 12 years old to set their spirit free. What a perfect gift as we get to learn and celebrate more of Amelie's culture and share that with her. Thank you Martin! Also, just before Martin came over, we got a call from Auntie Angela. It was so great to hear from her!
Well, that's about it for now. We head off to Changsha on a 7:55 flight tomorrow morning and somehow decide to spend the next 24 hrs. there before getting to meet Amelie! The next few days should be a big adventure...
Here are the pictures:
- Maile and Allen at Tianmen Square in front of the line to get in to see Mao
- Nana and Papa in front of the Gate of Heavenly Peace
- Nana and Papa at the Great Wall - this is just the beginning!
- Maile and Allen at the Great Wall looking happy before they start the climb
- Rooftop view from the Great Wall
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