Travel with Mom & Dad

So only a few months late... here's pics from when mom and dad came to visit in late June. A whole year in China! It was refreshing to hear people talk with a North Carolina accent again. The first pic is in Beijing, in front of Mao's picture at the entrance to the Forbidden City.


Here's the three of us inside the Forbidden City.

Chinese lawn-mowers.

Inside of one of the buildings in the Forbidden City. The interior decorator who did this must have decorated every building in China because they all seem to have the same ornate furniture.

One of the many statues outside the buildings.

Notice it's all rows and columns of 9. Evidently this is a very imperial number.

Mom and I in Tiananmen Square. A very hot, hazy day!

The Summer Palace

Oh what cuties!

Dad's favorite toilet! He uses only the best in China.

Mom and Dad at the Summer Palace.

An acrobatics show in Beijing.

Us at the Great Wall.

Mom and Dad climbing the Great Wall... Come on! Just one more step! Haha

Our guide was kind enough to let us drive by the Olympic stadium and take a picture. However, at the time he asked I didn't realize drive by and take a picture actually meant stop while on the highway and lean out the window to take a picture!

Mom being Chinese.

Xi'an

Don't litter!

McDonald's is everywhere in China. My theory is that McDonald's is America's way of slowly taking over the world. We're going to put McDonald's in every country and the people will become addicted to it. Then after 20 years or so when it starts to make everyone fat and sick, we'll just sit back and laugh cause then the rest of the world can't say anything about fat Americans.

Us at McDonald's... helping contribute to the success of McDonald's. However it is a very good strategy to have clean bathrooms and air-conditioning in McDonald's in China.

The famous Terracotta Warriors.

They do look fearsome. Arrggg!

The national bird - the crane.

I'm starting my own war! Whoever decided cannons are old-fashioned is completely wrong.

Someone's pet pig, just roaming the streets of China. Maybe he's the head pig - leader of the pack!

Three Gorges Dam

The water level when the project is complete in 2009.

Nothing like a little bit of exhaust to get your day started.

So was our cabin part of the civilized unit or were we in an uncivilized unit?

A special performance one evening.

We had to wear the most ridiculous amount of gear for this really simple little hike. I think the whole way was roped off and either paved or matted. I know it's better to be safe than sorry but...

The Three Gorges Dam

Evidently nobody is allowed to commit suicide at the Three Gorges Dam.