There are no pics today.

Today was all about getting to China. Our flight to Toronto was on time. We flew a Dash-8 (turbo-prop). The flight to Beijing was in a Boeing 777 Dreamliner (their newest plane). The 777 is amazing. The interior looks modern, spacious, and very attractive. The cabin had recessed LED lighting that changed colors. It had a touch-screen entertainment system that included dozens of video choices and dozens more audio choices. Overhead carry-on storage was ample even though every seat was taken. Leg room was better than most economy-flights. We could even use our food trays without bumping our belly against the tray. The flight took 12 hours. Air Canada’s service was quite good, which went a long way towards making the flight go easily.

The hardest part of our trip was the 1-1/2 hour bus ride to go 30 miles from the airport to the hotel. Beijing is filled with cars, it was Friday afternoon, and traffic was miserable. We saw very few bicycles and scooters. Very few Chinese vehicles. We saw lots of Japanese, Korean, European, and even US cars on the road.

We got checked in to our hotel and had a very good lazy-susan Chinese dinner at the hotel. Most of us had long flights. We adjourned early to relax in our rooms. We’re also starting late tomorrow. We won’t leave the hotel until 9. That gives plenty of time for sleeping in, getting ready, and eating breakfast. Highs in Beijing are forecasted to be near 90, with no rain.

Our Email is working great, but the phones had a glitch. I sent a message to tech support. Hopefully, our phones will be working tomorrow. If not, drop us an Email or ask Mark or Jul to forward your phone message. They have an alternate way to get hold of us by phone.