Rainy Day in Beijing

Gotta go out...more pictures later!

Our tour day was not set to start until 3:30 with a Hutong tour and kindergarten visit scheduled. So we had lots of time on our own. Mom and I and Jena headed out in a cab to shop but were amazed that we ended up at a high end mall with Brooks Brothers and Tommy Hilfiger, which were totally not what we were looking for. So we returned and Mom watched the kids while Jena, Mark and I went back to the market from the day before and scoped the place for the chess set Mark has been after forever(well, since he saw one and did not buy it in Beijing 5 years ago)
We met with great luck after a concerted effort, I got some silk outfits for the girls and a jacket for myself. The bargaining is such a chore. Started off the jacket for me at 680 yuan (divide by 8 for dollars) and I offered 300 for one for me and one for Jena. She finally let me have mine for 150 but the other lady was still bargaining with Jena. We actually had walked out of the stall and to the elevator before they called out to Jena, okay 150 yuan. Now she has a nice jacket.
It was raining by the time we left and the only cabs out front wanted 100 yuan to take us to the hotel .It had cost us 20 yuan to get there. We ended up having to go out to the street and wave a cab down. In sanity!
On the way back, I got a call from Doyle who said no hutong tour because of the rain (Ahhhh) I really wanted to share that with the family but I understood the rationale. New meeting time 4:30 for dumpling meal and then Beijing Acrobats.

Packed for leaving the next day (love our tour company and all the gifts they give the kids but where am I putting it all???) Then headed out.
Another fabulous dinner, this time at a dumpling restaurant,. Claire borrowed my camera so I am showing you a few shots of a 6 year olds view of things. In reviewing my pictures, I thought hmmm, was she in the same place I was?
Our tour guide is fabulous. We love him and he is great with the kids; he handed over the bus microphone to them and we were treated to a real variety show on the way to dinner!
Then to the theatre for the acrobats…a great show. Up to 11 on a bicycle, amazing juggling, jumping rope, climbing… They offered a dvd of the performance for $7 and I bought it b/c the kids missed some of it as they were nodding off. Too tired for a late night. Home to hotel and to bed.