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We discover Beijing!
The Marriott Hotel where we are staying is an incredible place. It consists of 11 towers, each of 27 stories with a huge outdoor courtyard in the center. Our room is on the 27th floor. Visibility is only a couple of miles here in Beijing because of the smog and haze. The food is great. For under five dollars a plate, you can sit in a classy restaurant and have a great meal.
At 10:00 am, we met up with our tour guide, Mr. Lei, who took us on a 6km walking tour of the Forbidden City.
 The city is a 600-year-old palace compound and fortress. It is soooo big that it would take 3 days of non-stop walking to see all of its sights.
 The emperor actually needed a guide to find his way around. The Queen and the 16 concubines each had their own great houses. The Forbidden City was most impressive.
in the Forbidden City 
walkway in the Forbidden City 
 We made our way through Tiananmen Square. A group of Chinese children were preparing to leave for a long bicycle ride.
 We rode the subway back to our hotel after seeing Tiananmen Square. We tried to go swimming at the hotel and found we could not because they require bathing caps, which we don't have. Our boys have sworn never to wear them since finding out what they were. In the evening, we attended a Chinese youth acrobat show. We were held spellbound for over an hour. Bill felt like he got a hernia just watching them! Tomorrow, we are planning a tour to the Great Wall with Mr. Lei.
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