[daepp]

Our first full day in Beijing we went to the Wall. While it was crisp and clear out, the air quality (per the US Embassy) index was 150 - anything over 100 is unhealthy.

This was from our second day - the index read 300. You had trouble seeing the top of a ten story apartment building. By the time we left it had hit 500, and the day after it hit nearly 600. Very sad truth about that part of the world...








Since we were not Chinese citizens we were permitted to attend Mass at a Roman Catholic church on Sunday.






At 6', standing a head above the average tourist heading into the Forbidden City



This happened to us - a lot! Random Chinese would constantly ask my daughter to take her picture with them and or their child. They also asked my wife, and even me a couple of times.