January 16th

Our day started with another couple sharing their story of how GOD led them to China.to adopt.  We felt so blessed to hear their story as we enjoyed another breakfast in Beijing.  Then we got on the bus and traveled to the Cloisonne Ware Factory.  The beautiful wireinlaid enamel was very popular as far back as the Ming dynasty.  We were struck by the dilligence at which these  women were painstakingly working.  The manufacture of cloisonne ware requires a rather elaborate and complicated process.

 

We then traveled to The Great Wall and were surprised to see the number of people there despite the cold.  We had really bundled up so we were quite comfortable.  We took the tram to the top and the views were breathtaking.  Needless to say we took lots of pictures.  Sally had told me how steep the wall is in places but it was more than what we had anticipated but we climbed anyway, stopping frequently to catch our breath.  No pictures or words could describe the view and the question remained in our mind  "how did they build this?"  After exploring the wall for awhile we got back on the bus and traveled by the Olympic Village.  I especially liked the watercube.  We got back to our hotel and decided to venture outside our hotel.  It was unbelievable as we tried to make our way down the sidewalk.  16.33 million people live here in Beijing and it amazes us that although the roads are filled with people, bikes, buses, cars, just about every mode of transportation you can imagine and some we have never seen before.  We have only seen one accident and that was minor.  Today we do some more sightseeing and then catch our plane to Shanghai.  In the morning, we meet Michaela!