China

China April 2003

Forbidden City
The Great Wall
Alexader at temple

We left Singapore with it's daily reports on SARS cases to arrive in Beijing, where official sources were still claiming only 37 cases. Many people on our flight wore face masks, but Beijing itself seemed oblivious for the time being. This changed dramatically in the three weeks we were there and by the time we left the number of announced cases of SARS in Beijing had jumped to 6000 and 99% of the people on our flight out of Beijing were wearing face masks. We stayed away from close crowds and washed our hands frequently, but otherwise explored all the tourists sites we had planned to. China was the last international stop in our travels and we were tired and pretty anxious to get home. The weather in Beijing was typically spring, so many days were chilly and rainy. We caught up on lots of school and enjoyed some American treats like Bowling, Hard Rock Cafe and a Starbucks nearby. Our first foray was to the Forbidden City which our kids were most familiar with from the Disney film Mulan (a challenge for us as their home school teachers). Our most anticipated trip was out to a part of the Great Wall. It was a freezing day, but we had the wall virtually to ourselves. We walked up and down, along the wall, entranced by it's magnitude. We visited a number of different traditional temples and buildings throughout Beijing and learned much about the ancient dynasties as well as the impact of the Cultural Revolution.

Summer Palace
Boating at the Summer Palace
Hutong Tour

We had a gorgeous day for our trip out to the Summer Palace. We took the whole day to explore, including a paddle boat out onto the lake, but still didn't not get around to all the sites. We stopped to have a picnic lunch and sit on a rock to overlook the beautiful grounds. As we sat there eating, we realized what it must feel like to be an animal in the zoo. Many of the local people who walked by would stare, often pointing and talking about us. We were pretty used to being the subject of attention throughout most of our travels in Asia, but only in China is it culturally acceptable to stare and point. It can be pretty disconcerting. We were often stopped to be included in photographs. By the end of our stay in China our patience for this added attention was wearing thin. One interesting tour we took was called the Hutong tour; a rickshaw ride through the alleys of Beijing, including the chance to visit and speak with a local family. It was a real learning experience.

Peking Opera
Easter at Holiday Inn
Street Traffic

We also fit in some evening entertainment including Peking Opera, fantastic Chinese acrobatics and an enjoyable meal of Peking Duck. We managed to have a fairly traditional Easter with decorated eggs and American candy thanks to shopping in Singapore. But we also attended a great Easter brunch at the Beijing Holiday Inn, where Zachary won the Easter egg decorating contest. All and all we found Beijing fascinating and often enjoyed just walking the streets or exploring the markets. Scott bought a bike early on to allow him to explore more widely. Though cars are more common, bikes are everywhere and Scott took some great photographs that were quintessentially China. We left Beijing on April 23rd and returned to the US where we spent six weeks visiting friends and family that we had not seen in so long. We are now settling back down in Minneapolis after almost five years away. Our trip was wonderful, but we have learned to truly appreciate having a home.

Forbidden City	The Great Wall	Alexader at temple
We left Singapore with it's daily reports on SARS cases to arrive in Beijing, where official sources were still claiming only 37 cases. Many people on our flight wore face masks, but Beijing itself seemed oblivious for the time being. This changed dramatically in the three weeks we were there and by the time we left the number of announced cases of SARS in Beijing had jumped to 6000 and 99% of the people on our flight out of Beijing were wearing face masks. We stayed away from close crowds and washed our hands frequently, but otherwise explored all the tourists sites we had planned to. China was the last international stop in our travels and we were tired and pretty anxious to get home. The weather in Beijing was typically spring, so many days were chilly and rainy. We caught up on lots of school and enjoyed some American treats like Bowling, Hard Rock Cafe and a Starbucks nearby. Our first foray was to the Forbidden City which our kids were most familiar with from the Disney film Mulan (a challenge for us as their home school teachers). Our most anticipated trip was out to a part of the Great Wall. It was a freezing day, but we had the wall virtually to ourselves. We walked up and down, along the wall, entranced by it's magnitude. We visited a number of different traditional temples and buildings throughout Beijing and learned much about the ancient dynasties as well as the impact of the Cultural Revolution.
Summer Palace	Boating at the Summer Palace	Hutong Tour
We had a gorgeous day for our trip out to the Summer Palace. We took the whole day to explore, including a paddle boat out onto the lake, but still didn't not get around to all the sites. We stopped to have a picnic lunch and sit on a rock to overlook the beautiful grounds. As we sat there eating, we realized what it must feel like to be an animal in the zoo. Many of the local people who walked by would stare, often pointing and talking about us. We were pretty used to being the subject of attention throughout most of our travels in Asia, but only in China is it culturally acceptable to stare and point. It can be pretty disconcerting. We were often stopped to be included in photographs. By the end of our stay in China our patience for this added attention was wearing thin. One interesting tour we took was called the Hutong tour; a rickshaw ride through the alleys of Beijing, including the chance to visit and speak with a local family. It was a real learning experience.
Peking Opera	Easter at Holiday Inn	Street Traffic
We also fit in some evening entertainment including Peking Opera, fantastic Chinese acrobatics and an enjoyable meal of Peking Duck. We managed to have a fairly traditional Easter with decorated eggs and American candy thanks to shopping in Singapore. But we also attended a great Easter brunch at the Beijing Holiday Inn, where Zachary won the Easter egg decorating contest. All and all we found Beijing fascinating and often enjoyed just walking the streets or exploring the markets. Scott bought a bike early on to allow him to explore more widely. Though cars are more common, bikes are everywhere and Scott took some great photographs that were quintessentially China. We left Beijing on April 23rd and returned to the US where we spent six weeks visiting friends and family that we had not seen in so long. We are now settling back down in Minneapolis after almost five years away. Our trip was wonderful, but we have learned to truly appreciate having a home.