J'adore Beijing

I think Beijing may have been our favorite city.

Tiananmen Square was just HUGE. I didn't expect it to be as big as it was.

Tanner and me with Chairman Mao.

This is of one of the "five star bathrooms" in Tiananmen Square (yes, there's a star-rating system for the facilities). I took this right before I decided I could hold it until we got back to the hotel.

We went to the Great Wall!! Technically it was more climb than walk, and since I had the bright idea to wear a dress and flipflops, the 60 to 85 degree incline was much more of a challenge than I expected. The trek was well worth it though and I'll never forget the view from atop the fire-watching tower.

So two priests, a banker, and a blonde set out to climb the Great Wall...

His name is Tanner.

The Forbidden City.

The Emporers' Throne in the Forbidden City.

The roof of a pagoda at the Summer Palace.

This walkway around the Summer Palace was more than a mile long.

The boat we took to get to the Summer Palace.

"You buy watch? Yes?"

Tanner, you're doing it wrong.

The Bird's Nest!

Tanner's face pretty much the whole trip.

Peking duck in Peking!

At the Peking Opera. (His name is still Tanner.)

It would be awesome if I knew how to do this. It was one of the coolest things.

The Peking Opera consisted of an all-male cast screeching Chinese in falseto. It was truly painful.