Christmas in China

Jeff scored us 10-year multiple exit-rentry visas for China by going directly to Nagasaki and dealing with the embassy vice using a travel agent and saving a lot of money.  We spent 2 weeks in China over Christmas break - starting in Beijing, overnight train to Xian, flight to Zhangjijae (still have no idea how to pronounce it!), bus/train to Guilin, boat ride to Zhangzhou, and flight to Shanghai. 

Highlights of the trip were:
*  Forbidden City, Tiananen Square, and old town Hutongs via rickshaw
*  Great Wall at Mutianyu which further out from town but has a toboggan down from the top
*  Temple of Heaven
*  sleeping on a train (with loud snorers!)
*  Teracotta warriors
*  Drum and Bell Towers
*  Avatar Mountain, grand canyon with glass bridge and cable car and slides
*  acrobat shows, on-water light show in Zhangzhou and Zhangjijae Pullman performance
*  boat trip, and bamboo raft - down concrete berms
*  tandem biking into markets and backroads
*  toy shopping and markets
*  Pearl Tower in Shanghai and Zhujiajiao river town

It was a power packed trip and we managed to stay healthy, see everything that we wanted, and with a good balance between kid and adult activities.  I think the kids will remember this trip forever.  They were most impressed by the Xian warriors and kept staring at them wondering if they would actually turn to life as the emperor had intended, the Great Wall due to opening scenes of their favorite movie Mulan, and negotiating for toys at markets. 

I took almost 1000 photos which I've narrowed down on the following posts.

Best wishes for 2017! 

Love,

JeLiMoBe

New Year's in Shanghai

We finished the trip in Shanghai. We stayed in the Bund and took the metro to almost every toy store or toy market in town, plus visited a neighboring water town and went to the circus.