14 hours worth of airtime in one day is enough though. Flying overseas to the west supposedly increases the jetlag effect. Well we can all tell you first hand that, YES, it sure does. It took us one day to get back into the groove when we took our trip to Scandinavia last year. We are on day 4 here in Beijing and we are still feeling it.

Exploring the streets surrounding our lodgings has been both fruitful and healthy. 15km, 16km, 12km and THE WALL respectively on foot in these 4 days here and we have seen a shit tonne! The subway has proved to be our chosen method of transportation and it has served us well, taking us to most of our destinations.

The Forbidden City was a sight to behold. We are greeted by the blonde kid paparazzi which is endearing in a way. Incredible history and out of this world architecture. So many temples and rooms that you really need a week to explore the entire area. Once the centre for government in China, it now is home to the Palace Museum. At 16.7 million visitors per year, it ranks as the number one museum visited in the world. Reid and Lela enjoyed all of the stairs and rocks that they could find to jump on and off of while Patty and I cursed the stairs but they wouldn’t disappear. Nuff said…

Tiananmen Square is also rich in history. Most of which we, in the west,  know is dark. The square is best known for the armed suppression of the pro democracy in 1989. The square is among the top ten in the world in total area of which is 109 acres or 440,500 metres squared. The Monument to the Peoples Heroes stands in the centre of the square towering ten stories high and sporting an inscription of Chairman Mao Zedong’s handwriting which reads, “Eternal glory to the people’s heroes!”

The Temple of Heaven was also on our list. We were greeted by the paparazzi again but this time a bit crazier. It’s also a Saturday and its nice out. The temple is known to be visited by emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. Another sizeable collection of stairs for the kids. Score…

The Great Wall of China is synonymous with China. Probably because its in China but you get my drift. From crazy bus rides to meeting the coolest people, the 6km, 85 floor climb to the East Five Window Tower was one of our most incredible experiences ever and will most likely be hard to top. Kids… Stairs… Fun…

Amazing is all I can say. This is a MUST DO if you plan to travel to this country.

Here are the notes that I have taken thus far. There is soooo much to talk about that I have a LONGER BLOG written if you care to check it out.

1. Bicycles available to everyone everywhere. Simply unlock and rent with your phone and drop off wherever you please.

2. Outdoor workout stations everywhere.

3. Everyone pays with their phone. Cash is almost non-existent when it comes to the consumption and purchase of goods.

4. Security cameras EVERYWHERE. Safety and order is number one. Here in Beijing at least.

5. Exercise and stretching can be seen on every street corner.

6. New York Yankees ball caps. If you wear a cap, it says NYY.

7. Men with brooms early in the morning. The streets are kept as clean as possible with elbow grease. NO machines.

8. Surprisingly not busy. Very easy to walk the streets. Early and later in the morning.

9. Horns are used like speech while driving. I have yet to see a frown on the face of a horn honker. The traffic is very organized considering the amount of cars that are on the road.

10. People leave their belongings and scooters out and unlocked when going to and from shops with no fear of theft.

11. If you’re out walking, eating or on the subway you’re on your phone.

12. City smells of cigarette smoke. Many smokers here which is funny considering the amount of people exercising.

13. Chinese people are not small. The average height of a Chinese man is 5’9”.

14. A few key phrases and hand signals can get you by very easily here. Spoken English is non-existent unless you find a young person that is willing to help you. Most know English but few are interested in helping.

15. The subway is very easy to navigate and very cheap. We did not take a single cab and our transportation costs show the savings.

Beijing has been a wonderful start to our journey. We have not felt unsafe in the area that we resided. This is a very safe place to visit whether it be alone or with kids. Thank you Beijing for allowing us to “get our feet wet!”

Next stop… Wait and see!!