Day 1: Arrival in Beijing

Greetings from Beijing! After a long but uneventful flight, we arrived in Beijing (which means "northern capital") early this morning. We were greeted by Eddy, our tour guide, and took our tour bus immediately to a popular chain restaurant to have dumplings for breakfast. Nora gave it a solid 7.5 out of 10. We then boarded the bus and drove an hour to the Temple of Heaven. 

We learned so much about the ancient Temple of Heaven from our guide and Avery! It was nice to walk even though it wasn't much warmer than Connecticut. After a nice lunch we visited the Forbidden City and were wowed by it's vastness and intricate design. Pablo shared his research with us there, noting that the entire city is symmetrical and was home to 24 emperors over 500 years! 

After dinner everyone was very tired and eager to get to the hotel for bed! We can't believe we've only been here for a day. Read more