We are all very happy to have Dennis, our gracious and funny translator and tour guide with us! We can't imagine trying to get ourselves around the city without him.
First, Dennis took us to Tiananmen Square. There were many tour groups there. We were surprised to see so many tourists from other parts of China. Then we went to the Beijing Hope Center. This is an orphana
ge and center in Beijing where orphaned children with sev-
ere disabilities go to get operations. When we arrived there were some Chinese volunteers there who come once a week just to hold the babies. One of the volunteers had lived in Chicago before and she told us all about the center. There are babies there with cleft pallets, cerebral palsy, babies who are paralyzed from the waste down, deaf and mute babies, babies with spinal chord problems. It breaks your heart to seem them, but we know that the babies that come to the Hope Center get the personal care, medical attention and necessary surgeries to improve their lives. We were able to play with the children and learn their stories before we had to leave.
Later in the day we stopped at a Jade factory on our way to the Great Wall.
We were all so excited to get to the Great Wall-one of the Seven Wonders of the World!!! There were so many steps that were very hard to climb-good thing they had a railing for us to hold on to! Jessica and I climbed up 1,275 steps (yes we counted, but only on the way down). The views from the wall were amazing.
Jessica and I are now certified Heroes-(you get a hero card for climbing the steps). There were little shops and checkpoints along the way that gave us the chance to catch our breath.
In the evening we went out to eat the famous Peking duck, which was very good. The food in China is amazing. We are all coming home 10 pounds heavier.
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