Let me just tell you about today. There are always long days when you travel and today was one of those days for me. We got up at 6:55 am and I went to bed around 1:30 am. Here I go about the events of today.

One would figure since we had been planning on touring around the city of Beijing today for multiple days that it would rain. Rain it did, for I would say, well lets see here. Yeah, it was the entire freaking day. It was pouring rain when we got on our tour bus in the morning. Patrick was playing around with his camera and the flash went off and many people including Mike thought that it was lightening. So I thought I would join in the fun. We would both be flashing our cameras and Mike thought that it was lightening. This had to be one of the most funny thing that I have seen in week. He said and I quote "oh my god there is lightening all around us". hahahaha. No one could hold it in after that. This was a great start to a wet day.


A photo only taken to force the flash to go off on my camera.


The first place we stop today was Tiananmen Square. I think it was raining about an inch an hour so it was not to bad. I am some what happy that I had my rain coat with me. I have not really got a chance to use it before this. Even though I paid all that money at REI I have not really got to use it until now. I am guessing that Tiananmen square it much better to see when the visibility is over ten feet. The nice thing about being soaking wet in the rain here you never get cold.

It raining, raining, oh baby. lalala



Famous Tiananmen Square Photo.

Feel free to learn more about Tiananmen Square here at wikipedia

I will also have to read this about all the places I went since I quite listening to my tour guide early on in the tour because i could not understand a thing she said. I figured that I had hired her as my baby sitter so I did not get left any where. Since I dont listen to her this is how she would become useful for me. She has got some serious group baby sitting skills and let me tell you this takes great patience and persuasion.


Here is Patrick and Shannon happy about the rain.


Typically I think these photos would be killer. Here not so much, I am going to blame it on my poor lighting. Of course, the photographer knew what he was doing.



Thanks to who ever took this photo and thanks google images!




There is my top notch tour guide. (MIA) was here name-o.


There I am again soaking wet. I am standing in about a half inch of water.

This beautiful piece of art was built for the Olympics . Yup its nice. But what do you do with it afterwards?



One World, One Dream. (CHINA's dream is to Take Over the world)

Logos for the events.


Beijing 2008, on everything you can imagine here. Everything from temporary signage to permanent.


This is a Forbidden City. It is the size of some cities.


Pat and I went and sat in the police cart to get out of the for a sec. The chinese police officer was totally cool with it. No big deal to just jump in the cart with out asking.


I am just not sure which option to take it seem they are all win win for me.


Peace be with. And also with you.


I knew you would be interested in this. Even if your not let me tell you all about it. I am excited to tell you because this is one of the FEW things that I actually learned from touring around China. These cast pots were for holding water incase of fire. Awesome huh?


I know all of you are as interested in Zhang Juzheng as I am but the real reason I took this photo is because the face recognition software on my camera picked up his face.


This guy looks like a happy hash smoker. He's chill.



I am thinking if I through some armor on Echo she could look like this. I may need to also sharpen her nails and give her steroids but we'll get there.




Here is a flooded sidewalk. I probably should not have taken this photo due to the fact it just reminds me how wet the day was. I do not need a reminder of that.


Lunch Time:::::::::::::;

Would anyone like fish for lunch you can pick one out of the tank and have it prepared how ever your tastebuds desire.


I find that there are many meals replicated around here. The food is good but many times we end up at these buffet style places and the food is all the same. It tastes the same, it looks the same, it does not smell the same so I am thinking that it is government issued.



Time for the tour guide to get kick backs. So part of the deal of going on these tours for discounted prices you have to go tour factories because the guide is getting paid to do this. This is the silk factory. I do not think they actually make things here but they try to make tourist believe that they do. You will understand through the following photographs.

There I am.


Fake silk worms.

Fake factory workers. They were actually working but they then told us that it takes 79,000 silk worm cocoons to make a blanket. These girls processed about 20 the time we were there. I am calling BS on them.


It is cool how they processes the silk worm cocoons.


My hand at stretching the silk.


The tour guide telling the group how Amazing the silk is. once again BS.

1000USD sheets anyone?

Now this lady was steller. Her and shared a moment. She let me thread the silk string into the portrait for about five minutes. I brought the intracacy up to a new level.

ms. fast with needle was working away right here.


The following photos are from the summer Place. This was awesome but I was so damn tired by the time we got here all I wasnted to do was sit down and be lazy. Walking around for 8 hours straight is not the best way to keep tourist happy. What happen o the old fashion air conditioned bus and me taking pictures through a window. Zero calories burned and maximum laziness inforced. aaaaaahhhhh thats what I am talking about. any way check out the pics.

Here I am fitting in again.

Ma'am Sir (Shannon) was taking this photo and kept telling me to back up, back up.

We have a Sleeper!


Bordem dirived.

Bordem.



Famous bridge. Yeah, I dont know the name. I'll look it up though.



Pearl Factory. I hope the tour guide makes lots of money from taking us to these places.

Free pearls. To get you pumped up about pearls they do a whole introduction and then they open up a clam and give the group the pearls out of it. They did not find it nearly as funny as I did when they try to sell you pearls, that I was trying to sell them the pearls they had given me.


This is how I get around here. I take pictures of everything on my camera. Since I now can speak 8 words of Mandarin I get around well but not well enough. So I take pictures of buildings of directions anything that i can show to the cab driver which will help him get me to where I need to go. Here a picture is worth a thousand minutes. With out it you will be driving around in circles, literally.


Birds Nest. I drove by it so I thought I would take my 500th photo of it. Yup, it is that awesome.


A friend of Matt and Mike's hooked a couple of us up with tickets to the women's gold medal match USA vs. Japan. The Japanese woman's Softball team is the luckiest group of girls you could imagine. They were pulling plays out of their, Cap lets say.


We have a Sleeper.


Bright Stadium lights

A packed game.


Picture Picture.


Shannon makes friends easily after 3 glasses of wine.


Picture Picture.


This is a good ol' American Thumbs up for Peter.


Lots of flags at all of the events. On this trip I am reppin' Canada.



Olympic Mascots.


Time to start the ceremony, time for Nick to leave.



We made it back to Canada house. The drinking commenced with free beer and wine. Yup, we were all feeling it a bit. When it is all free I still feel like I have to get my money's worth out of it.


My directions to give to the taxi driver.



Ray, showning the fellas good back hand form.


We all then went out but only a couple could get in to Club Bud. I say budweiser sucks they are sell outs I am going to stick with COORS LIGHT, TSING TAO, and SAN MIGUEL.

I will try to post more pics ASAP. Lots more has happened since I started this blog.

Nick