Saturday in Beijing

When we last visited Beijing, the 2008 Olympics had just concluded. Drivers were only allowed to use their vehicles every other day in order to make the world think China had clean air. I'm here to tell you: They do not. The smog is so thick here that the sun is only a faint orb at noontime. And the tops of the relatively small mountains where the Great Wall is situated are invisible. But we wouldn't let a little pollution prevent us from enjoying the Wall and the Forbidden City. My eyes are still burning, but it was worth it.

First we scaled the steepest part of the Wall just outside of Beijing--in 90 degree weather. Alex and I were the only two to make it to the top out of our group. (The others had more sense than us and turned around about halfway up the ridiculously steep stairs.) But the hazy view was worth the effort. Several people asked to have their picture taken with Alex during our ascent. Light colored hair is seen so rarely here that people can't believe their eyes when they see someone like Alex with his reddish, light-brown locks. Several more Chinese tourists had their pictures taken with him in Tianenmen Square, too. He said he felt like a rock star.

The Forbidden City has nearly 9,000 rooms in dozens of buildings covering 160 acres. At one point in history, over 30,000 people lived within its walls. It is an amazing place. And you could tell Truman was really impressed. No sooner than we had walked through the first few buildings, he passed out from exhaustion, forcing Bethany and I to take turns carrying him the rest of the afternoon. Did I mention how hot it was today? It was Missouri hot. But we survived, and had a good time.

Right now, the kids and Bethany are swimming to beat the heat. Grandma Glee is already in her jammies and sacked-out for the night (although it is only 6:20pm). I am enjoying the peace and quiet (a rare commodity in a city of 20 million people) and the air conditioning. I am also plotting a trip down to the lobby bar to unwind with an authentic Chinese brew or three after the fam gets back. Enjoy the photos and stay tuned for tomorrow's update after we fly to Harbin, the city where we will meet our little Tiana on Monday morning. Wait'll she gets a load of us!