Beijing, Sept 17

Due to the typhoon that threatened Osaka, we departed for Beijing a day earlier than our original plan to join the Viking 2 week tour - Imperial Jewels of China.

This turned out to be good luck for us, as we had an extra day in Beijing, and could check out the Summer Palace.

Mike was last there in the '80s, and so much has changed. Back then, he traveled for work, to give lectures on technical topics. He was fortunate to travel with a colleague who was fluent in Mandarin, so they could travel anywhere without issue. Back then, there were few cars; mostly taxis, and thousands/millions of bikes. There were a few buses, but no metro or subway.

Beijing is so different today, with so many cars, buses, and a very comprehensive train and subway system.  Instead of hiring a taxi for the day to visit the Summer Palace, it now is a cheap subway ride to the Summer Palace entrance. Back then, Mike recalls just a handful of visitors, but now it is a very popular place with thousands of tourists visiting each day. It was quite crowded, and the majority of the tourists were Chinese. Back then, it was rare to see any Chinese tourists.

So confusing!

This Marble Boat won't be sailing on the lake...

...but Deb & Mike will!