Whoo Hoo - it's a second post in the same day - catching up. Beijing February 16th

Everyone is going to have a LOT of photos to look at.   I am catching up on posting so check below if you did not see the February 15th post yet.   I have no idea how terrible we'll feel when we get home so I am in a marathon to try and get caught up before the return flight home - and back to real life of laundry etc.   Tuesday the 16th was another insanely hectic day (Amy, I'll await the smart aleck comments from the peanut gallery poking fun at our schedule... :-P - at least you are a most loyal commenter and non-stalker. 
At breakfast in the morning Adam had a difficult time with Maya Mei and after returning to the room, before setting out, he and Laura Beth made the decision to stay at the apartment with Maya Mei.   So, we set off with our family group and with Lisa, Laura Beth's sister, her mom Bonnie, Ben their son and Drew, Lisa's son and little Eliana.   Our first stop was a park - I do forget the name or actually don't know if I ever knew it.  Anyway, they were holding something called a Miao Hui at the park (pronounced something like Meow Way).   I don't think any of us have ever been in such a throng of people in all our lives.   It was pretty much impossible to all stay together so Granddad, Grandma, David, me and the kids went our way - we had the stroller too which we pretty much used like a tank and as a safe place so the children would not be crushed.  You did not walk so much as move in a wave.   Hopefully the photos will do it justice.  Shelli - you're probably done by now with CNY presentations but this one about tops it - you said you were using some of the photos.  We got to one stall where we bought a few little decorations and after that made no attempt at any more shopping - it was so exciting and such a fervor.  We made our way to a courtyard area where there was entertainment at different corners and people playing fair type games to win stuffed animals etc.   There were also people who are buddhists paying homage to ancestors, lighting incense and bowing etc.   To top it off, there was a Michael Jackson impersonator.   We met up at the designated spot and walked away from the park - you can see photos of street scene stuff such as food vendors selling their food from the back of bike carts and all the bicycles lined up.   The temple photos you see are of temple in the Tibet style.  We walked quite a while - our guide was trying to find a place for lunch.  We actually ended up in one of the Hutongs and around a Confucious temple area.   You can tell some of the wealthy Hutong homes by the lavish door posts, and one even had a double garage.   After no success of a lunch place we rejoined our bus and driver and Doyle would pop off at places to see if he could find a place to eat - despite the fact that we were seeing places to eat everywhere, but probably not that could handle our large crowd. 

Doyle found a place in what appeared to be a hotel and after lunch we walked again and found a Hutong tour (in a different Hutong from where we had been before).   Indigo loved the Hutong tour - the part where we were in the rickshaw.   We also stopped at a Hutong home and saw the traditional set-up - walk through the doorway into a courtyard and then into the house.  The house we saw was owned by the Wu family and we had a delightful visit.  Mrs. Wu spoke to us - she and her husband are retired.  She had worked at a rubber factory and he was an archeologist for the government.  Their two sons with their wives shared the home with them although she said they each had their own kitchens - thank goodness, when you see the size of one kitchen.    
After the Hutong we were already tired but we went on to Beihai Park which was an Imperial Park close to the Forbidden City so you see some photos passing the walls and gates of the Forbidden City and the moats.   We were not at Beihai Park long - too tired, and it was getting cold as the wind had kicked up and sun was going down.    Really, it's a place to return to because you can tell it would be lovely especially in spring/summer when the weeping willows are in leaf.   The park is known for the large white pagoda - which looks like a liquor bottle.  We also saw a white budda carved out of a single piece of flawless white jade and a huge jade vessel that apparently used to be filled with liquor that the generals drank from.    We did not cross the bridge to go further into the park - just exhausted.   Came back to the hotel for one hour - both Isaac and Indigo went to sleep.  Granddad was feeling exhausted and starting to get sick (sore throat) and he said he would stay at the apartment.    We decided there was absolutely no point in getting the children up and so we left them with Granddad and went out with the group to dinner before going to the Laoshe Tea House.   We were happy that LB, Adam and Maya Mei joined us although poor Bonnie was also sick and did not come out.   A day at the apartment together had really been good for Maya Mei and seems to have been a turning point.   Dinner was good although we were not that hungry - my favorite was a lamb - I think there are some dinner photos.    The tea house was all the way back near the City Gate to the Forbidden City and everything was beautifully lit up at night.   The tea house was lovely but so hot that we all were roasting the whole time - most unpleasant.  Also, we were packed in there like sardines - David and I were together at a tiny square table that had two other couples!   The best part of the whole evening was seeing Maya Mei laughing so much at the two man act.  We could not understand a word of it - most of the show had no interpretation which gave us a good inkling of what this poor 8 year old was experiencing all the time - everything being said that you don't understand.   However, the two man act had her laughing so much and we loved to see that.   There several tea demonstrations throughout the show which represented tea for winter, spring, summer and fall.  We had jasmine tea served to us and some little tasty goodies.   The last three acts were super as they required no translation - a magical act, a great acrobatic act and the Sichuan  Changing faces performance which is just incredible.   We enjoyed ourselves but were so glad that we did not have the kids - thanks to Granddad who watched them.  Isaac was so tired that he never woke up the whole time until the next morning - slept in his clothes.  Indigo woke up and was crying but Granddad got her and read her the note we had left her saying that she had been sleeping and Granddad was going to watch her and would give her food and treats and so she was happy as a clam when we returned home.   What a pace...
Photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7322989@N05/sets/72157623354999655/