Beijing Olympic Park

We had five days with no classes leading up to and including the May Day holiday, so we took in some of the local attractions before it starts getting too hot in the city during the summer.

This is the start of what is called the Sunken Garden at the north end of the Olympic Park. It has a large underground mall.

This is a very big wind chime.

DJ was copying the girls dance moves.

These ducks seemed to be standing in the middle of the river. It is really a very shallow fake river that is on top of the mall.

We will have to come back another day to visit the Beijing Science and Technology Museum.

This is something new they are building at the north end of the Olympic Park at the entrance to the Olympic Forrest.

We made it to the end of the Oympic Park but never did make it very far into the Olympic Forrest. Again, we will have to save that for another day.

The kids were tired and we sent them home. This is a a very nice couple that approached us as we were walking to have dinner that evening. They are from Greece and had been in town on business but decided to take in some of the local sights. They were looking for a good place to eat and we went together to Tim's BBQ Tex-Mex. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

Park outing.

There are only a few good days left for the summer that I will have most of the day off, so today we walked to the big park.

These flowers were very unusual to us. They are very stiff and almost looked fake.

Just as we arrived at the park, there were some fireworks being set off. Because it was daytime, the fireworks were in the form of colored smoke.

There was a large ceremony of some kind at the art gallery. There were many people of the press taking pictures and television cameras. As soon as they saw us, they turned their cameras on us. I am certain we will be in newspapers and on television all over China in just a few days. Susan was even surrounded by this form of 'paparazi' in the same evening when she went down to the river for a walk.

These group of drummers are famous in Jiamusi and some of them live in the same housing area we do, where they also store their very old drums.

This and the next several pictures show some of the ornate work on one of the pavilions in the park.

Just like our trip to Willow Island this year over last year, DJ is a little older and can better enjoy going to the park and looking at the fish in the pond.

Of course, she also had to make some new friends.

We stopped for lunch on the way home.

DJ took a nap on the way home and just as we were walking into our housing area, it rained heavily just until we got inside and then stopped. A fun, wet end to a nice day.

Willow Island trip: 2011

Come with us on our trip to Willow Island this year.

This is a short path we take from our housing area to the main road that leads down to the river. You can see the one story old housing that used to be everywhere in the city. Most of it has been torn down to build apartment buildings. There is still people that live here. They have not been forced out of their homes and made to purchase an apartment they can't afford. It must get very cold inside during the winter.

Just before we get to the main road, there is a church where you would normally find shops. This is on a friday morning. Not an empty seat to be found.

We walked along the river for a ways to get to the boat that goes across to the island. The parks are very nice and our favorite part of the city.

DJ stopped to play a little chess with some of the other kids. The pieces are too big and heavy to move.

We are finally on the boat and pulling away from the city side of the river. People are sitting down below and standing along the rail.

We stood inside the wheel house.

DJ enjoyed this trip on the boat across the river better than she did last year I think.

Once on the island, we took another ride. The boat was 12 RMB for both ways for all of us. The horse or camel rides wanted 10 RMB each. We finally talked one of the drivers into taking all of us for 20 RMB.

There are many carnival boardwalk type games on the island, as well as rides of all kinds and several haunted houses. There is also lots of places to buy food and drink and increased price. It is a great place to get away from the city if you don't bring a lot of money to waste on the games.

I think DJ liked the buggy ride the most.

It is a little different walking along the river on this side looking back at the city.

They were setting up a stage with lights for a concert down by the river along the beach on the city side. We did not go to the concert.

DJ made friends with this little girl and they played and had a good time at one of the little outdoor restaurants on the island.

Kite, kids and ...

Nichole, Harold and friends, Suzanne and DJ.

This is our friend Nicole's son, Harold.

Harold and a couple of his friends.

DJ and other kids in the park.

She was listening to the man playing.

She wasn't sure what to do.

It looks like an Albatross.

They attach foam to the outside of the buildings for insolation because they are all concrete.

This was an empty lot a month ago.

A day for the birds.

This is from on top of an exhibition hall in the middle of the park.

We were lucky enough to be there just as two men were checking on the penguins in their coop.

They have installed some new trash cans since last year. It is an improvement, but still a little chinglish.

When a place of business is having a big sale or grand-opening, they really go all out to try to attract customers.

Forth day of the forth month of the solar calendar and Spring is coming.

DJ had a great time taking her new stroller for a ride.

DJ liked going for a walk in the park. It was her first time to walk on grass.

We went to a favorite restaurant of ours for lunch and DJ loved the noodles.

We ordered five dishes: beef noodles, boiled peanuts, beef rice, slices beef and curry potatoes with rice.

We even took Spot in the restaurant. We can take Spot into our local corner store or even some restaurants. Either people like Spot or they don't. There are other dogs and dog lovers in the city but most people don't have pets at all for various reasons.

The river is starting to thaw.

This is the park along the river. We can take Spot into restaurants but we can't take him here, unless we carry him through the park and down to the river.

This is a picture taken just outside a tire shop called V-Kool. The tire shop is at the first major corner between our apartment and Ivy. We pass by it just about every time we go to the river.

We were all tired after our long walk, even Spot.

Debora and I took DJ out again the next day to the underground and bought some new shoes for DJ that she loves and a couple pair of pants. Debora also picked up a new pair of shoes. I couldn't find any shoes for me that I liked that were in my size. I will have to keep looking.