Day 10

Visit the World Expo all day!

-------------------------------------------------

Yay, free internet at the Shanghai airport!!!!! SO very nice to talk to everyone today :) :) :) Still laughing at Camden's "did you see any Chinese people" question. Love you all so much and we're all definitely feeling homesick by this point in the trip.

Glad to have made it to the airport and checked in with no problems. Only two more flights on this trip (whew...seven total - crazy). Shanghai has been a bit crazy, especially with last night's hospital drama [not Tara's]. Poor guy can't bend his leg so they put us in a row with more leg room for this flight, which is awesome. The last flight was so cramped and warm we were all feeling like we didn't want to get on another airplane any time soon. Hong Kong is only two nights so we'll fly out of there to Taipei on the 3rd. I'm going to try and get C and S some little stuffed pandas to bring home, which I think they'd like. We'll see. It's a bit hard to pack and lug things around so I haven't bought much that takes up room. Anyway.....other than the crazy heat and humidity, we've seen a lot of amazing things and been able to do some fun things. Riding a bicycle on the city wall in Xi'an is one of the highlights of my trip so far - that and hiking around on the Great Wall (sooooo amazing - what a privilege). Have so many stories to tell when I get home :)

Love you all so very much. I can't open the picture attachments :( but I"m sure Chuck E Cheese was really fun! C has been wanting to go there for so long. Glad you have kept busy and the kids have been behaving well. I'm just so thankful for the grandparents and have been praying for everyone.

Tell C & S how much I love them and miss them. Tell them I get to have noodles for dinner and fly on an airplane today. Only one week and there will be big hugs from mama.

Hopefully I'll have internet in Hong Kong. If so, I'll be sure to write. Keep sending me updates, just in case, please!! I love reading them.

Day 9

Visit YK Pao School then end the day with a Shanghai city tour and visit with a local family.

------------------------------------------

Miss you so much too. Think about you and the kids all the time. I'm not sure if I'll have internet until Taipei, but if I do I'll certainly get online. I'm going to try and call on Sunday morning here which means Saturday evening for you.

We've reached the point in the trip where we are all missing home a lot and the trip is feeling long. Today we visit a school and tomorrow the Expo (I think). Yesterday was pretty fun, tell Camden I got to ride a ferry down the Bund river. And, tell Shelby I got to see lots of pretty orange fish.

I'm doing well and just missing everyone. Can't wait to see you all in about a week. Hang in there and give the kids big, big hugs from mama. I love you so much and miss you. I hope you are able to get some good rest this weekend.

Day 8

Shanghai

Visit the Shanghai Museum and the beautiful Yuyuan Garden. Afterwards, you will have some free time to stroll along the Bund to experience the thrills of old Shanghai. After dinner, you will be transferred back to your hotel. Upon returning to the hotel, our tour guide will say bon voyage.

Day 7

Xian - Shanghai

Before departing for Shanghai, visit the Hanyangling Museum, the Mausoleum of Western Han Emperor Liu Qi on the way to the airport. The flight arrives in Shanghai and our guide will pick you up at the airport with transferring you to the hotel for a 2-night stay. This evening, dinner is reserved for you at your hotel.

Day 6

Xian

After breakfast, you will be scheduled to visit the City Wall. After an a la carte lunch valued at CNY60.00 net per person (inclusive) served at a famous restaurant, meet a local family, which will introduce you to the life of the local people. Later you will see the Great Mosque and have some free time there to shop for souvenirs or antiques in the bazaar near the Mosque.

-----------------------------

Yesterday I had a fun bike ride on the city wall and got a little sun burnt myself. Today we're going to a museum and then flying to Shanghai - probably a 737. I got a nice, long 10 hours of sleep last night that I needed and feel much more rested this morning :)

I love you all and miss you - be home in a week and a half. It's going quickly and yet not, know what I mean? Love you so much. Give Shelby and Camden hugs from mama.

Day 5

Xian

The visit to the majestic Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum will start your day's tour. In the afternoon, you will visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. A splendid evening is in store when you will be entertained by the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show while partaking the famous Dumpling Banquet Dinner.

----------------------------------------

Another quick email. Got some good pictures of the Terracotta Warriors. They were pretty amazing.

I saw some cool kites that I'm going to try and get for the kids. And, there's always chopsticks. Anyway, we get to shop in an open market today so I'll see what kind of cheap things I can find for little gifts.

I love you all so much and am thankful for the internet updates on how things are going. Hang in there. I can't wait to see you all again in less than two weeks :)

Tell the kids I get to ride a bicycle today on the city wall!

Day 4

Beijing - Xian

After visiting the Summer Palace and the lovely giant pandas in Beijing Zoo, you will take a flight to Xian. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the hotel for a 3-night stay.

--------------------------------

Have to make this pretty quick. Got to Xi'an with no problems. It is a tad bit cooler here, though not much :) The pandas were all asleep when I saw them but I did take some pictures. I only spent $15 yesterday too hehehe.

So glad kids are doing so well. I miss them. I miss you. Tell them that today I get to see some very very old carvings and eat dumplings for dinner. Another busy day. Internet is more expensive here so I might not get online again for another few days.

Day 3

Beijing
This morning you will be taken to Badaling where you will experience at first hand the wonder of the Great Wall. For lunch, we have arranged for a special meal to be served at a local popular Sichuan restaurant. Later the journey will take you to the Sacred Way and the Ming Tomb in the peaceful shadow of Longevity Mountain. Conclude the full day tour after taking a glance of the Bird's Nest (Olympic National Stadium) en route to downtown. This evening, we will arrange a delicious meal at a delicate restaurant.

------------------------------------------------------

Edited email from Tara sent at 8:53PM in China-

Not sure if I'll be able to do email tomorrow, but will try. This is the last night at the hotel in Beijing. First, the good news - I had a great day!! The Great Wall was amazing and the food was very good again. I"m hot, sweaty and tired, but had a very fun day and took lots of pictures.

The bad news....I spent too much money today.

Anyway, people are being pretty impatient outside to use the internet so I'll log off. Tell Camden and Shelby that tomorrow I get to see some panda bears!

Day 2

Beijing
Before the tour starts, a pre-tour introductory talk will be delivered in the hotel. You will meet the other members of your group at that time. Your first stop today is the impressive Tian'anmen Square. From there you will enter the "Imperial Palace" known as the Forbidden City to explore its many fascinating halls and pavilions. You will then go to the Temple of Heaven, the place where the Emperors worshipped the heaven for good harvests. To round off a memorable start to your tour, we will arrange the Beijing speciality Duck Dinner at a famous restaurant followed by a lively Red Theater Chinese Kung Fu Show.

----------------

-9:30pm after the above activities-

Slept well last night although that bed is dang hard. Today was so hot. Instead of Hot Yoga, it was Hot Strolling along. I was sweating and drenched everywhere. Tomorrow should be the same as far as the heat and the amount of time we're spending outside. BUT, it was really fascinating to see these buildings from so long ago and I did get a lot of pictures. Tell my mom that the food so far here has been AWESOME. SO good. We had Peking Duck tonight and then went to see a "History of Kung Foo" show at a theater - it was very good but I found myself drifting off to sleep now and then because I'm just pretty tired after today. It has been interesting and I'm enjoying myself, despite he heat and the embarassing amount of sweating involved.

Tell Camden and Shelby I got to eat in a restaurant with a duck standing outside the door. I'll try to get on here again tomorrow to let you know how things go. For now, I'm headed to bed and we're headed out to see the Great Wall tomorrow!!

Tara

Tara Updates- China Trip Day 1

For anyone interested in keeping track of what Tara is doing on her trip, check back here frequently. I'll try to keep it updated as she sends reports back home. -Tara's Husband

-------

Tara left on the airport shuttle just after 11pm on Tuesday night July 20. I got a text message from her at about 1:30am saying that they were about to board the plane. She landed in Taipei, found a free internet kiosk and emailed to let us know she had landed safely (message received July 21 @ 3:55pm [6:55am July 22 in China]). She had a 2 hour layover in Taipei before taking another flight to Beijing. She was able to sleep a little on the plane but not very well. She says her travel companions are fun and interesting and is looking forward to spending time with them. Hoping to see something other than the inside of an airport soon!

--------------

Edited message from Tara 3:55am July 22 (6:55pm July 23 in China)

I can do internet at the hotel for a small fee so I can probably get an email out to you most days, at least while we're in Beijing. It is now 6:30 - for you it is 3:30 in the morning (I hope you are asleep right now!) and we are all very tired and ready to go to bed! But, I'll stay up a bit longer and then hit the hay.

Beijing is very smoggy and hot and humid. You would not do too well in the heat, I'm afraid. Tomorrow we'll be outside a lot and it is supposed to be 92 degrees and humid. I've got four bottles of water to take with me to help with that.

Tell Camden I got to fly in a 747 and a 737. Tell Shelby I saw lots of people with umbrellas today on the sidewalks.