Today Sebbie and I went out sightseeing (with our guide) to the Purrple Bamboo Park and the Summer Palace. Wanting to be healthy for Tuesday, Steve decided to stay at the hotel to rest and nurse his terrible cough.

The Purple Bamboo Park is an amazing place. Because homes/apartments are so small in China, most people come to places such as these to get fresh air, exercise, and socialize when they can, especially on weekends. All along the park are large and small groups of people sharing their skills with others, including total strangers such as us. Many of the "teachers" are retired people. We saw groups doing Tai Chi, Mongolian dancing, ballroom dancing, singing, and yoyos. This women did amazing tricks with Chinese yoyos and taught Sebbie how to use one.


Here is a picture of Sebbie and our wonderful guide, Marsha, in the park. And, one of Sebbie and I enjoying a ride in the children's area.










After an awesome lunch at a non-touristy restaurant in the park, we headed off to the Summer Palace. We walked a fair distance around the Palace grounds, viewing some amazing architecture, art, and blossoming trees, and then boarded a "dragon boat" which took us across the lake to an island with some historical information about some of the rulers in China. Then we followed the Seventeen-Arch Bridge back to the mainland where we learned how to use colorful Chinese ribbons before we headed back to the hotel. It was a great day (except we missed Steve).