BEIJING - Sunday

Another hot and steamy day. I'm hoping for rain and a great cooling. But so far it's just damn humid...We met Martin,a guide I had arranged through Grandma Dot and he came by the hotel at 9 am so that we could explore and feel more comfortable here. We immediately sat him down and said that we had an urgent need for a cup of coffee and croissant. Arnie is having sugar withdrawal because everybody seems to eat watermelon and not have his compulsive need for chocolate. And now add coffee to that list. So with this mid course correction firmly in ace Martin took us to the Mall, I can't remember the name, but it is the largest mall in all of Asia. I hate malls but it was pretty impressive and most of all we had COFFEE. Lots of coffee.

I am whining about the heat, Arnie wants coffee and Kate is in heaven. She can't believe that we are really here and she is the object of a lot of very positive attention from both casual passersby and other people we have some contact with such as tour guides and waitresses, etc. Everybody wants to know her Chinese name which she now gives in the Chinese way with the last name first. There is always some conversation about the real meaning of her name in Mandarin and then a runaway discussion of the tonalities involved. Her name Wen Fu seems to be a combination of Lucky or Fu and then Wen could be warm or it could be interested in literature and writing. Well you can see how much fun this is for Kate. Many discussions about the shape of her face and what region she might really be from. Even though she is from Guangxi these topics are rich. And then there are the people who just stare. The Chinese tend to stare at everybody including other Chinese so Kate is a good target. The other day our taxi was stuck in traffic along side a bus and by the end of 5 minutes or less, everybody in the bus was staring at Kate who was alternately defiant, shy and then in gales of laughter.

Our life so far is reasonably relaxed, swimming this morning, off to the Lama Temple Complex which is still the home to many lamas who live and work there. The Lama Temple, bordered by innumerable small stalls that sell incense and other memorabilia,is a series of interconnecting squares with braziers set up in the middle for people who want to burn their joss sticks. You start with the traditional happy Buddah and by the time you wend your way back through these mirror squares you come to the big and towering Wenfu Ge which is enormous, maybe 55ft high.

We went on to lunch in some nameless but very good Chinese retaurant and then bought jade bracelets and a jade necklace for kate. We then staggered into the Modern Museum of China which is quite sensational with alot of avant garde and interactive art. Full of families checking it out. Nap time. We all had trouble getting up and going on to dinner at an open air restaurant by the Lake which seems to be a popular gathering place for families and then at night it becomes the street of bars. One bar after another all with live music. We are all exhausted now.

The real tour begins tomorrow.