More Beijing

We only had 48 hours in Beijing, but we managed to see a lot! The family arrived Friday afternoon and headed straight to our apartment in the Caofang area of Beijing. We decided to give Airbnb a try for the first time, and the experience was overall positive. Our apartment was in a large complex where few, if any, Westerners live. So it really felt like a cultural immersion!

After the Great Wall, we napped in the car while driving to the Summer Palace. I wasn't sure we would have enough energy to walk around this sprawling garden retreat, but the kids, of course, have limitless energy, and the parents revived after a cup of coffee. 

We kept walking until we came upon some truly impressive buildings. It didn't appear possible to climb to the top, but we just kept going! The view on this clear day was spectacular. And the details on these buildings and gates! Unbelievable. 

On Sunday, we took the subway to Tiananmen Square and the Palace Museum (Forbidden City). With two young kids, we couldn't really learn much about the history, but it was still cool. 

To keep the kids interested in this huge maze of buildings, we decided to hunt for the Nine Dragon Screen. We asked M to navigate- he took to this role quite naturally.

We had some lunch and then headed back to our apartment and to the airport. What a great weekend!