Communist Scouts

This is a group of young communist scouts who just graduated. They are posing in Tiananmen Square.

The Great Wall

The Great Wall, just asking to be climbed. There was quite a variance in the step heights, 1-in to 18-in.

Lesson on Eating Peking Duck

Steffanie and Nickie learning how to eat Peking Duck.

Peking Duck Anyone?

Carving the our Peking Duck. We got VIP treatment as we had just come from the show and most Chinese eat very early in the evening. We had the place to ourselves.

Bird's Nest

This is as close as we could get to the any of the Olympic venues. Still amazing to see.

Tea Time Again...

We were lucky enough to get invited in for tea by a very nice couple.

Rickshaw Ride

We had an nice, and sometimes scary, rickshaw ride around old town Beijing.

Dinner or a Pet...

Turtles, Crabs, Crickets, Cats and Dogs; they were all at this market.

Cousins?

The odds are pretty good that I am related to these goofy wankers!

HSBC

Nickie, Casey and Jessica in front of the the original HSBC building near the Bund River in Shanghai.

Mangostiens & Lychee

One of many vendors around the streets of Shanghai.

Dragon Ladies!

Nickie and Steff walking in the footsteps of the famed Dragon Lady at The Summer Palace.

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Not My Game!

On the train from Beijing to Shanghai. It was 12 hour overnight trip and we killed some time playing Disney Princess Uno. I lost!

House of Porn...?

There are many statues along the path to the Ming Tombs. This one is actually called the Prone Horse, however there is a typo in the main sign and it reads the Porne House.

Mao Looking Over Our Shoulder.

A very hot day in Tiananmen Square. No protests.

A Long Way Down.

No the hard part...getting back down.

First to the Top!?

Gregg and I made it to the top. Only steps behind Pat...

Half Way Up!

Resting and cooling off about half way up The Great Wall.

Beak to Beak.

Greg establishing the peaking order early in the trip.

Keep Your Exlpoding Cars at Home.

Good to know that No exploding cars ranks just above no horn blowing in China.

Top of the World Ma!

After an hour and a half of climbing we make it to the highest point of the Wall. The smiles are merely masking the pain.

Movie Stars?

What a good looking group, eh? Many were stopped for the occasional photo op with the locals. Either they thought we were celebrities or just the funniest looking Americans they have ever seen.

Day 1 China

After a day of travel and an incredible acrobatics show, a beer and good food was we could think of.

Taxi Anyone?

The Canals of the city are teaming with these water taxi. I was very tempted to do a James Bond and try to run across. I would have been wet.

Shanghai Night

Shanghai by boat. It was a good start to our time in this booming China metropolis.