Ni Hao Tout le Monde! Yesterday (Monday) was incredible. We hired a driver after breakfast to go to the Great Wall. Little over 1 hr. drive, spent 1 1/2 hours walking and taking pictures. The idea for the wall began with the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi in 221 B.C. It stretches for 30,000 miles. 5-10 soldiers would live in the towers and keep watch for enemies. If they spied anything, they would use cattle or wolf dung to send smoke signals to garrisons below.

We took a gondola up and a sled (tobogan)down. What fun - the kids would love it. Below, open-air market where they sell nuts, dried fruit, and of course, souvenirs.



Next stop was Summer Palace - Chinese version of Versailles. More pictures - brutal cold. Built in 1880s by the Empresse Dowager Cixi, who was a concubine of the 3rd rank but rose to promenance by serving as regent to her son Tongzhi. She and her entourage left Forbidden City to live and rule here for 20 years until her death in 1908.

Back to hotel around 5:30. We asked the concierge for a good Sichuaan restaurant and two recommendations were for a place they called Sauce Booty (at least that's what JBP heard them say). When we arrived at the address we found the actual name to be South Beauty. It was great - I had stirfried shrimp and peppers, JBP had sweet & sour scallops, both Very Hot! I was really hungry for soup, so we order sour soup with fish maw. Don't know what maw is but it was wonderful and sounded less dangerous than other appetizer choices (Meat pickles of pig ears, pig tongue, and chicken feet! or fried sliced kidney with stones in hot oil, or better yet, Chongqing, which is duck intestines with duck blood tofu served with vegetables, chilies and garlic!). Thank Heaven they give menu ingredients in English! Time for breakfast, check back later. Love to all :)