Another day in the city

It takes us about 2 hours to get into the center of Beijing. After a bus ride and a couple subway lines, we finally arrive. As a result, we tend to go for the WHOLE day and pack as much in as possible. Our time in China is so limited (5 weeks down, only 6 to go!). During the work week we stay in our village for Chris’ work and helping at New Day, but the weekends we push the kids pretty hard as we tromp around the city.

Last weekend we met up with Julie and her family. They were so gracious, hospitable and generous towards us as they showed us around a new part of Beijing and gave us a crash course on riding bikes in the city. Corbett, Hudson and Chris were able to ride the bikes (with our youngest in a basket). The other 2 were not tall enough, so they kept walking with me.

“Dandelion” cotton candy….so, so cute.This girl is a big fan of escalators. Big fan. Always asking to ride them. For fun.We stopped in a mall…complete with artwork my boys appreciated. At another stop they found a large screen and declared it far better than the little security screen at Walmart that usually records their dancing. Obviously, they feel the need to blend in as much as possible 😉We are figuring out which subway lines are the busiest at which times. Not that the information really helps us any, but it does make us feel a little more at home. In our exploring we found a Cat Cafe. I took the kids inside and was quickly told children are not allowed. The concept is you can enjoy your food/drink order in the company of the cats that live there. I thought of several of my friends – a couple this would be heaven and a couple this would be a nightmare!
Churros and ice cream….who knew this would be such a delicious combination?! I think we’ve decided to go back for this as a final treat on our last day in China. It was that good.I wanted the kids to experience a night market – so much for all their senses to take in and experience. We ended up staying there too long and missed all the buses back to our village. As a result, we added Taxi to the list of used transportation for the day.We are preparing for a short overnight trip to another town this week. The kids will experience their first overnight train in China. We are going to do the hard sleeper (rows and rows of bunkbeds) instead of the kind where you have your own private room – I’m pretty excited to see their responses to a new kind of cultural adventure!

We also found out we have approval to visit our youngest daughter’s orphanage, so that is on the horizon…and all the emotions and thoughts that come with it. Our daughter is SO EXCITED and we are incredibly thankful for the chance to visit.

I can’t believe how fast the time is flying….