Night Lights

Day #5 Evening… we’re going to make it

Our tour bus from the Great Wall dropped us back at the hotel. I didn’t even want to visit our rooms because of the fear that we would not reemerge for many days. We were so tired at this point. We did make a quick stop for the double thought and then grabbed a quick (ok, nothing is “quick” with 7 kids in toy) dinner. Then we split up for the cab rides to the grounds of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

I can’t imagine what this place would have been like in 2008. Masses and masses of people! Just the crowds we dealt with when there wasn’t a major event going on was crazy.

You can see the Beijing National Indoor Stadium lights and the Ling Long Pagoda or Tower with the Olympic rings on the top.

Walking around the park promenade was a good time. There were many people even at this late hour socializing and trying to sell us things.

These kites looked so fun. Can you see them blowing way into the sky? I can’t remember if they’re 30 feet or 30 yards long… must be 30 feet.

Just had to buy them for little Lyla.

Beijing National Aquatic Center or Water Cube

The Cauldron

The Beijing National Stadium or the Bird’s Nest. Masie looks asleep on her feet.

Yes Miles, I feel the same way.

Lyla saying, “Here you can have the kites back, just put me in my bed.”

I can’t remember what time it was when we tried to leave. Everything was locked up tight. We walked for several minutes back the way we’d come through the security and metal detectors only to find that way locked up. Then headed further in the same direction only to discover that gate was also locked. We had to retrace our steps and after another dead end and some help from an elderly lady, we finally escaped. Hailing taxies again was another adventure (no punches were thrown) when we could finally crash in our hotel rooms.

Thank goodness our flight the next day was in the early afternoon. We needed some major zzzzz’s.