Rainy day

Michael took a good nap on Thursday afternoon and woke up in a much better mood - thank you, God!! We met the group for dinner at a nice (and cheap) restaurant around the corner of the hotel. Then we came home, bathed and went to bed. Michael LOVES taking a bath!!

We woke up on Friday morning expecting to meet our group at 8 am to go for a tour at the Forbidden City, but alas, it was raining!! So, instead our guide moved our departure time to 11 am so that we could go for lunch, the pearl gallery and then to the Forbidden City. I was glad that the time was changed so that I could spend some good quality time on Skype with Steve and the girls. I sure do miss them!! I wish I was going home tomorrow instead of NEXT Saturday!! UGH!! Will the 25th ever get here!!??? Anyway, lunch was great. Pearl gallery...not so much. I am not sure WHY we went to this place, it was really just a pearl jewelry store. They did have fresh water oysters there and they opened one up and showed us inside which was cool (and let us each pick out a pearl from inside the oyster), but then they just wanted to sell us stuff. I did buy a couple of things which were a good deal, but was actually kind of annoyed that we went here as a "tourist" spot - it was kind of tacky to schedule this if you ask me. According to our guide, famous athletes come here to buy pearls for their family - big deal. Well, we did go to the Forbidden City after that - in the rain. It was not pouring (as it was earlier in the morning), but it was still a steady drizzle. We felt like our guide didn't really want to take us...he said that the 2 older kids didn't want to go (but since none of us speak Chinese, we don't really know how he presented it). But we adults were dying to do anything outside of our tiny hotel rooms!! So, the adults won!! Now I had debated about going at all since it was in the afternoon and that is when Michael naps, but I had to get out!! We enjoyed ourselves and Michael seemed to enjoy riding around in his stroller. The 2 dads on this trip have been great in helping me carry the stroller up and down stairs. China is not very stroller-friendly!!
Meg is suppose to come to the hotel around dinner time and wants to take me and Michael to see her new apartment. She is so excited and happy to actually have her own place!!! Tomorrow - the Great Wall!! I am really looking forward to seeing that!!!