China day 1: Beijing

We're here! First full day. So excited. We all slept pretty well considering the complete reversal of times (7 pm is now 7 am, etc). The breakfast biluffet is included with our hotel room so we had breakfast in the hotel. It was a pretty big spread with lots of Chinese options (preserved duck eggs anyone?) and also many European type offerings like croissants. After breakfast Adam went for a run in the hotel gym and I watched the kids as they went for a swim (complete with the required swim caps). After this we got ready and headed out to explore a little of Beijing around our hotel. 

We explored some shops and took pictures of the 'interesting' flavor options. Like these:

 

We had lunch at a great Chinese place (thank you God for picture menus and some translated phrases). We ended up with this spread which was delicious. 

 

There are definitely only chopsticks as options, so we're really perfecting our skills.  The meal was a success except for Adam's initial tasting of the dumplings dipped in a super vinegar-y (his least favorite thing ever) sauce. He recoiled a couple times and I honestly thought he was going to vomit in his lap but he held it in 😆. He's going to love me for posting that but hey - gotta preserve trip memories. 

After lunch we hailed a taxi to go see a Chinese acrobatics show. Traffic here is TERRIBLE and it took us about 50 minutes to go what the map told us should be 20 minutes. We honestly thought we were going through miss the show (that we had already paid for) But we made it! 

 

The kids were literally on the edge of their seats. 

 

It was fantastic and so entertaining. Crazy stunts with no supporting wires (or as the translation said: "no insurance.") The 8 motorcycles whizzing around this metal ball were a favorite. 

 

It was so great. When it was over we hailed a cab back to the hotel and wow. TRAFFIC. I think I breathed more second hand smoke in that hour taxi ride than in my whole life. When we were gridlocked in traffic on the highway with about five blocks to go to our hotel we paid the taxi driver and got out to walk it. Yay fresh air! 

 

 We had dinner at a dumpling restaurant near the hotel which was great - again thankful for the picture menu and translations because that helped us to avoid the lung soup, the pig's intestines, and the fried silkworm chrysalis dish. 😳 We headed back to the hotel for face-timing the little kids and bed. Great first day!