DAY 3-Thursday March 6th, 2008

(See photos at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43899&l=3871e&id=562630970
You do not need a Facebook account for this. It is a public link. )

We finally landed in Beijing. It was really surreal to finally be here.

We went to collect our luggage. One of the ladies from Children's Bridge, Chia, is here with us. Her luggage did not arrive. So she had to file some paper work and stuff. Her bags still haven't arrived.

Once we passed through the "Nothing to declare" counter at customs, there was a KFC and a Starbucks, but we didn't have time to stop, and our Group Guide, Lilly, was awaiting us. We had to exit through this long fenced-in area, where we felt like Olympic Athletes coming home. There were TONS of people all crammed in and waiting patiently with signs for the people they were there to meet.

The bus ride was about an hour, but felt like about 2 minutes. We were in complete awe... From the Ikea (!) to the most beautiful toll we've ever seen, everything was so amazing.

We arrived at our hotel, the Beijing Tian Tan. It's very nice. But the minute we walked into the lobby, all you could smell was cigarette smoke. Chinese people are the heaviest smokers I've seen since I was a child. It was really odd because we so rarely see any smokers indoors anymore in Canada. My lungs have not been happy at all about being around so much smoke. Beijing is also very smoggy.

The rooms are small, but pretty. Very, very Asian, from the asian blinds to the sliding bathroom door. The bathroom's sink and tub are exactly what you'd imagine in a north american Asian themed home! lol

The bed is low and extremely hard. The floors are so dirty that when I got into the shower this morning I left black marks on the tub. There are slippers and bathrobes in every room, and they also provide toothbrushes (with little miniature toothpastes), free mineral water, Q-tips, etc.
But we couldn't figure out how to turn on the lights! We finally figured out that what you need to do is put your room card in the reader by the door, which activates the lights in the room (and the TV, Fridge, etc.) But not all lights... There is a unit on the bedside table that allows you to choose which lights you want on, only one set at a time!!!

We went out for supper with Dean, Laura Lynn and Ally, and with Glen, who is traveling with his son-in-law and grandkids who are about to welcome a new sister. We went to a Hot Pot restaurant, which was really cool. We had chicken, beef, tofu and vegetables. It was all absolutely delicious! Then we came back to our room, where we crashed pretty quickly.