GIFTS FOR AVA

Beautiful flowers and a pink stuffed bear from my sister Cathy and her family to welcome home Ava and I.

Presents for Ava from my friend Ann in Naples, Florida.

ON CANADIAN SOIL!!

Well we made it!! The eleven hour flight went alot smoother than I anticipated it would. Shortly after our flight left Ava fell asleep in my arms and the flight attendant brought out the bassinett that can be attached to the bulk head and Ava slept for 6hrs straight in it. She just fit, if she was any taller we wouldn't have been able to use it.
The rest of the flight she was pretty good, with only a few short restless periods...she did amazingly well for an almost 2yr old! These are the first pics of Ava on Canadian soil! We just arrived in Vancouver and are waiting for the shuttle to bring us to our hotel.

FLIGHT DELAYED 10 HRS!!!

We got to airport only to find out our flight was delayed 10hrs...the crew had worked too many hours and needed a rest period! So once our luggage was checked we were shuttled to the Ledo Beijing Hotel where we would stay for the next 8-9hrs. We needed to be back in the lobby of the hotel at 10pm to be shuttled back to the airport for our flight that was now not leaving until 1:45AM on the 29nth. Thank goodness even with the delay we would still be able to fly out of Vancouver to Toronto as previously scheduled.
After checking in and finding a supermarket where we could buy extra diapers(needed more than we had on our carry on now that we were adding another 10hours to our trip) and milk we decided to relax and sit out in the courtyard and have a drink. Ava loved watching all the kids playing in the fountain.

Ava watching the kids play in the water.


Ava and Mom watching the kids in the water.

Toasting the end of a trip that couldn't have gone any smoother!

Ava having a snack to tie her over to dinner!

Pics of the lobby of our hotel

PEKING DUCK DINNER

We went for Peking Duck Dinner tonight and forgot the camera...can you believe it!! So these are the only pics for today...Ava in her Peking Duck outfit.

OUR HOTEL IN BEIJING-THE JIANGUO GARDEN HOTEL

SILK FACTORY/STORE

Silk worm cocoons

Silk worm cocoons and spun silk


Ten silk worm cocoons being spun together to form one strand of silk

The silk worm cocoons are first boiled to soften them then ten cocoons are spun together to form a single stronger strand of silk




The larger silk worm cocoons(with two larvae per cocoon) which are only found in China are first boiled to soften then are hand stretched over this smaller frame, them over the larger frame and then as above picture shows is hand stretched by four people to the size of a bed. Many layers then make up a silk duvet. The duvet is very light weight but very warm. The silk doesn't clump or shift as with feather duvets and is very strong, unable to pull apart the layers of silk.




Silk embroidery picture

Silk garments worn by royalty

Silk garments worn by royalty

MY LITTLE PEANUT!!

HUTONG TOUR

Today we went on a Hutong Tour. Hutong is Mongolian for narrow alleyways. We toured the Hutong by Rickshaw. We visited a Kindergarden class and a local family home in the Hutong.

All of us ready for our Rickshaw tour.





Scenes from the narrow alleyways of the Hutong




Ava getting rid of some energy!







The Kindergarden class out for excercise






The boys working on their balance.


The girls after finishing their excercise class

Ava trying out her first "horsey" ride






All the kids gathered around Ava to get a better look!







Ava playing with the kids

Ava checking out the books

Ava meeting all the kids

Ava and Mom








Where the kids have their naps









A cubicle for each childs washcloth

The kids washroom

Ava trying out one of the beds

Sherri and our guide Mary in the courtyard outside the family home we visited in the Hutong

Another view of the courtyard

The courtyard again

Views inside the family home

Some more of the narrow alleyways that only the rickshaw can fit down.

Our Rickshaw drivers

Local mom with babe