Day 4 – Beijing

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December 6 – By today, my mom was ready to get on a plane and pick me up. Unfortunately, she had to wait until her friend’s son arrived on the 3 PM flight out of Newark. So, after two of the families left the hotel for the airport to go meet their children, my mom and the Aragona’s hung around Beijing for a few hours.
After lunch, they took a long walk. They were thankful that it wasn’t quite a cold as it had been. Mom saw a Starbucks on the way to Tiananmen Square and had to stop for a cuppa joe. It didn’t quite taste the same as home, but it was hot and lasted until Tiananmen Square.

They started back to the hotel and decided to walk back through a more traditional neighborhood instead of taking the main streets. They saw a beautiful park, bicycles, and everyday people going about their lives. They took a shortcut (not) down a Hutong, a small neighborhood pathway. Along these small streets are courtyards where many families share living quarters; one family/one room. These families may also share public bathrooms. The Hutong was like a maze and they wandered about for while, trying to find their way out. It was peaceful in the Hutong; surprising in a city of 15 million, and it was a memorable experience.

Later in the day, at 5 Pm they arrived at the airport, found Dan (Sandra’s son) and boarded the plane to come get me and Jenny!!!! Their plane landed at 10 PM. It was snowing when they landed. My mom could not get to sleep. I think she is excited about meeting me!!!