I'm finally here!

My flight was long but uneventful! I watched four movies and had two meals and a snack from DFW to Tokyo. I didn't sleep but a few hours, not sure why but it probably had to do with the time. Business Class is quite comfortable and I have no complaints. My layover in Tokyo was very short. The flight was an hour late getting in so my time in Narita was just short enough to get myself to the next gate with a little over an hour to wait. The flight to Beijing was four hours and I finally got some sleep on that flight. I left Dallas on noon Wednesday and arrived in Beijing at 9:00 Thursday night! What happened to Thursday day?!

Since it was night when I arrived in Beijing I didn't get to see much of city until Friday. We went to the Great Wall. We took a cable car up the mountain before we even set foot on the wall. Once you get off the cable car, there it is in all its glory! It's almost surreal to say you are standing on the Great Wall of China. I found myself wanting to read everything I can to know about the history of this Wonder of the World. The physical strength it takes just to navigate the steps and slopes on this wall are unbelievable. I was quite proud to say I was able to walk the Great Wall if only for a short distance. There were beautiful views looking out over the mountains. I kept thinking "Doug, New York's bridges have nothing on the wall!". Can't wait for you to see it.

After the Great Wall we went back to Beijing where we drove around the Olympic village and got a view of Bird's Nest Stadium. Believe it or not it really looks like a bird's nest. There's a structure being built next to the stadium that is rumored to be the site of the olympic torch. I guest we'll have to wait and see. Beijing is doing lots around the city in preparation of the Olympics. Trying to put it's best foot forward I'm sure. You can't believe the architecture of the buildings here. Some of them seem to defy gravity in their construction.

On Saturday we went to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden Palace. The square was filled with people, lots of tour groups. It's funny to see the individual tour groups, they distinguished by the color of hat they are wearing! The palace and the grounds are massive. You go through a series of gates and courtyards, with palaces along the way. All of the palaces have specific names and history dating back to around 1420. After exiting the palace, we rode a rickshaw to what we thought was going to be the Pearl Market. It turned out that we were just taken through a series of allies and streets that basically got us nowhere. I told Joe we would NEVER do that again! I wasn't sure what the next turn might present! Kelli, it was worse than going through the back allies of New York!

We finally got direction and a cab to the Pearl Market where we talked to Joe's favorite pearl dealer. Got some good deals for friends and myself of course and walked through the different floors. It's exhausting with all the people trying to make a sale at their booth. Puts New York's Chinatown to shame! No back allies here. You need watch, purse, Ipod, night telescope?

Our day is done. Joe took me to have duck tonight. It was not bad. They carved it right at our table. Tomorrow it's on to Chengdu and our quest to find a new home.