Off we go! After a wonderful, food- filled visit with Colin and Julie in LA we started to Beijing on an afternoon Air China flight. The flight hugged the California coast providing beautiful aerial views including San Francisco. It flew a northern arc over Alaska, across parts of Russian and finally traveling over northeast China into Beijing. We flew more over land than water and although we flew all night-12 hours- it was always daylight.

When we embarked from the airport train into Beijing it was dark but the street was lively. Google Maps directed us to our hotel via a narrow, dark alley for over 20 minutes but we survived. New places always seems scarier in the dark. Fortunately we found a small place nearby to grab a beer so all was well.

Our introduction to Beijing included a guide and driver taking us through the massive Forbidden City and out to the even larger Summer Palace. The Ming and Qing dynasties did nothing on a small scale. Finished the day with a 3 hour food and walking tour in the hutong area of Beijing. Fun but exhausting day.

Tried to be a chill day but still so much to see. Wandered the hutongs where we learned that status of the early residents was indicated by their entrances. Visited the many buildings of the Lama Temple which were originally built for the royal family in the 1600’s and given over to Tibetan monks in the late 1700’s.