Part II of Jake's visit

The Great Wall. I wished that I had the writing skills and vocabulary to explain the overwhelming feeling of seeing and hiking the The Great Wall. I'll let the pictures do the talking. However, please note that the placement of the pictures on the blog is not how I set them up. I have the pictures beautifully arranged, but all of the icons used to post are in Chinese.... and it doesn't end up the way I intended. I have a love/hate relationship with this blog. 

We hiked beyond the signs that said "no one beyond this point". I am so glad we did. It was such a great hike and amazing views. I am sad that we did not get pictures of us tobogganing back down to where we started. It was like the Alpine Slide on steroids. 

I have so many pictures I could post, but I understand how difficult it is for others to share in the excitement when it is not experienced first hand. I hope that everyone has a chance to see one of the greatest wonders of the world. It far exceeded my expectations.  

After hiking all day we were ready to eat. David had a restaurant in mind so we ventured out to find it. Walking of course. Smarts walk EVERYWHERE. I cannot tell you how far we walked in Beijing, but Jake and I said "no more" because it was evident David did not know where the restaurant was. We flagged down a rickshaw (with motor) as we ventured out to find a place to eat. I was not prepared for Beijing traffic, dodging cars while praying for your life.

I'm glad that we did not find the restaurant that David was looking for. We ended up in the lantern district (not to be confused with a red light district) and came upon a hot-pot diner. We all agreed that it was our favorite meal in Beijing. 

Next up the Forbidden City. An amazing walled city where Chinese emperors lived. A documentary we watched the night before gave us the history of the City; however, no single picture can capture the grandeur of the place.

Across the street from the Forbidden City were the grounds for the emperors retreat. 

"We" rowed around the lake to take in the views. I tried, but was fired. 

From the Forbidden City we took another Rickshaw ride to the Temple of Heaven. Pretty classy!

  Temple of Heaven.

Loved watching these two guys write Chinese on the side walk with their sponge 

"pencils" and water. For all I know it could say obscenities. 

David looked up the address of the restaurant that he couldn't find the night before. Da Dong Duck, specializing in....you guessed it: Peking Duck. We had to wait an hour to get in, but it was worth the wait. The ducks were cooked in open fires and they tasted excellent. I absolutely love this picture of Jake. 

Jake quizzically looking at the "Cesar salad"he ordered. Sometimes the presentation of fancy restaurants can disappoint.

I forgot to mention it was David's birthday during our Beijing trip. It was very sad that the St. Regis made a bigger deal of his birthday than Jake and I did. Jake did break into the hotel bar and took out a candy bar (that David had to pay for) and made a sweet homemade card for his dad.

We went from the Temple of Heaven to a ride from Hell to the Summer Palace. Jake was getting quite comfortable with the Rickshaw drivers.

 We graduated from row boats to paddle boats. David and I took turns but we made Jake paddle the entire time. We wanted to help with his ironman training.

 

 Everyone should have quaint summer homes like the emperors of China. 

And I can't "end" my Beijing post without sharing the "cultural norms" of Beijing. I watched mothers setting out newspaper for kids to poop on like puppies, and babies with open butt clothing for easy access for a quick release. Amazing.

After a fun filled time in Beijing, Jake's friend Graham flew into Hong Kong from Japan for a few days and then the two boys went to Thailand. Graham and Jake should not be left alone for too long. They went out shopping and they came home with shirts that, well let's just say, they got their $5 worth.

Thailand looks absolutely breathtaking. I cannot wait to go with David in November.

After Thailand, we wanted to celebrate the news that Jake had passed the bar. He's officially an attorney. We decided to take a boat over to Macau. All I had heard was that it was reported as having the greatest income (3x Las Vegas) from gambling. Since we don't gamble, I didn't have great expectations. I was in for a surprise. Jake was beyond tired as we dragged him from one event to another.

The town of Macau was absolutely charming with the Portuguese influence. Very cool mix of old and new. We could not stop taking pictures.



 

Temples with spiral burning incense.

An amazing cathedral facade.

Because of all of the cool photo opportunities. I started to get creative. I captured a picture of Jake while he wasn't looking. I loved it.

It's tough not to take a good picture when no matter what the angle or lighting, the subject remains awesome.

 We headed back exhausted, but loved our time in Macau.

When Jake and I had a few days without David in Hong Kong (he had a business trip in L.A.), we had a few days to explore the areas around our house. A few minutes walk from our house is a park with a botanical garden and a zoo. I find that amazing that there is such beauty in the middle of a city. 

 One of my favorite times spent with Jake was he and I in the Hong Kong temple.
I will always cherish this.

After all of the hiking, sightseeing, and constant walking, I was just too tired to think about another hike to the Buddha. I opted out and David and Jake enjoyed time together. David said that he will cherish this time with Jake.

Our time with Jake was just too hard to put into words. David and I have decided that we will make it a point to have one-on-one time with the kids each year. I adore this boy and will miss him terribly.