Last Day...

Thursday, August 30, morning. Rain in AM.

How decadent, having room service in China instead of going to the streets and having some exotic dishes that you can only get in China. Yup! That's us.

A great sleep and a leisurely breakfast with three others in our group who opted out of the morning tour of the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square for a three hour walking tour. 

As we have seen them both before we opted for a Morning of Tranquility instead. Our decision was strengthened by the news that, due to the China/African meetings being held here next week, there will be passport checks and security screenings at the entrance to both sites. 

[My personal thought is that the Chinese Government uses any lame excuse to 'raise the security threat level'. This, I believe will reinforce to the citizens how they must always be aware of how their beloved government is looking after them. There are security cameras absolutely everywhere. It also employs a lot of people, who get paid little, to do little.

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We have planned our day as follows: Spend some time after breakfast in peace and quiet, me doing this blog, Fellette reading her book and both of us putting things in piles to make tomorrow morning easier. Then go for a walk around the Hotel Gardens, if the rain eases, and then do a little window shopping ALONE. [We have been living in close quarters with people for 16 days now and it is wearing a bit thin.]

Around noon, we who opted for a Leisure Morning will get transported to a Chinese Restaurant where we will meet up with the rest of the group for lunch, then we hope do a 'Rickshaw Tour of the Hutongs'  Well, likely not a rickshaw but in spirit at least. Hutongs are the back alleys and old homes that still existed before China became the modern giant that it now is. A bit of a nice way to spend the last afternoon, rain and all. We did it years ago and it was fun. Even when the driver could not speak a word of English and I could not get him to stop for pictures. Maybe today I can learn the word for 'Whoa' before we start!

In the evening there is a Peking duck Dinner as the last meal together. 

That is how we hope the day goes, time will tell.

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I apologize for all the spelling and grammatical errors the last 16 days, I have had to do this blog under some pretty trying circumstances and often under very rushed conditions as this has not been a restful trip. I owe much to son Craig who I have had to contact many times for him to ensure the blogs get posted. 

I hope to send more pictures and report on how the rest of our day goes later tonight.

Our flight home leaves tomorrow at 4:00 PM, we arrive home at 11:00 AM, same day, gaining all the 15 hours we have lost since leaving home.