China trip

We had a tremendously invigorating time in China from January 31st to February 4th, when we flew back to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
What a difference in temperature from Cebu, Philippines.  Our flight took us from Cebu to Manila, then Manila to Beijing.  We arrived on January 31st and were picked up at the airport by private car and driven to our hotel.  We stayed at the Howard Johnson Paragon Hotel near the main train station in Beijing.  It was a beautiful 4 star hotel that I would recommend to anyone who wished to stay in Beijing.  We had earlier booked a tour that included hotel, 4 days of tours, transportation by car or small van to shows, (acrobats and Kung Fu) a visit to the Pandas at the Zoo, sightseeing trip to the Great Wall of China at Badaling (about 50 miles from Beijing) and visits to The Forbidden City, the Llama Temple, The Ming Tombs, a silk factory making silk duvets and pillows and clothing, a jade factory, a porcelain factory, a rickshaw ride in a hutong-with a cooked lunch in a typical Chinese home, etc.
It was go, go, go for five days and we still could have seen more.  Here are some photos, no particular order is indicated

Mave freezing on the Great Wall

Mike just as cold on the Great Wall

Mave standing in front of spectacular jade junk and dragons

Very clean Subway system

Forbidden City

Tienemann Square where Mao is on display.  Can you see the people lined up at 8am?

Tourists climbing the Wall-very steep and was very cold this day

Mave and Mike in front of the Temple of Heaven.  My head is wrapped in a terry towel from our hotel
bathroom.

You have to see this place!!

There are lots more photos but I have to sort them out and resize them so that they download and open easily if readers wish to click on them and make them bigger.

Hasta luego mis amigos

The Holoidays on holiday