Chinese Takeout: China Day 608 BaDaChu Temple and the crazy night market!

It was Mother's Day here in the ' jing, but not quite yet back
home in Indiana. Ava Rose decided to sit among the roses at
my apartment complex to wish her momma, Jennessa Rose a
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

Today we spent the day at BaDaChu, also
known as Eight Great Temples.

Since I was really gimpy and limping at this
point in the kid's trip, we didn't see all eight temples.
They did go visit the prayer tower, and caught a
a glimpse of some monks practicing Buddhism.

They really DO love each other. for the most
part. when they aren't trying to kill each other.

We were coming down the hill as these sweet ladies were making
the long trek UP. They were an elderly mother and her grown
daughter. I was worried for momma as it was a long walk up on
a hot, sunny day. I commented as such, of course, all through
playing a whale of a game of Charades! I was able to explain
that I was also a grandmother, and Ava and Eli were my
grandchildren. Then these sweet ladies gave each of us a necklace!
I offered to pay her, repeatedly, but she naturally refused. We then
took a selfie and that seemed to satisfy her. I wished her a
"Happy Mother's Day!" and I am certain that she said the same to
me in return, only in Mandarin. Mothers know the language of love.

After a full weekend of touring Tianjin on a bum
knee, there was no way I could schlep it up the
Westerly Mountains. The kids preferred to ride
the cable car up anyhow, so it was a win/win.

After a snack on the mountain top, we took
the luge down. Be sure to not "shun tilt!"

I'm just a big kid; I love the luge!

The little kids loved it, too. Once again, this
was their favorite thing they did the whole trip!

Coming in hot, missy!

No day in a park or at a temple is complete
unless they can find some rocks to climb!

Mountain goats, I tell you :)))

Isn't she lovely? I am so thankful to have had this time with
the kids, to observe them navigating their way through
childhood and in to adolescence, and to watch them
navigate the world around them- even a world as
strange as planet China. I have deep respect for these kids-
and the job their parents are doing in raising them <3

Their 'prayerful pose' is how folks in the East communicate
"Thank you", accompanied with a xie, xie.

We continue to use all manner of transport,
this time the city bus. The kid take it like pros!

We then took the subway to the Wangfujing to visit the night
market. This boy was traveling with his father and grandfather
and when the father struck a conversation with us. When he
realized the children were about the same age, the two men
jumped up from their seats and insisted the kids all sit together
so they could get acquainted. They all talked sports and school :)
The Chinese are such nice people in that regard.

Stephanie and the kids were blown away by
the night market- it is an onslaught to the
senses- especially the olfactory sense, lol.

We watched a bit of Peking Opera being performed
in one alley. The kids were creeped out by the
man's make-up, the fact that men perform all
roles in the opera, and his screeching voice!
Ava said she would have nightmares about his face, lol.

Eli had this warrior statue's sword in his back :)
The kids are wearing the necklaces we got
from the ladies in BaDaChu earlier today.

Since their trip is beginning to wind down, these kids
(and Stephanie!) wanted to power shop for Chinese trinkets.

And the shopkeepers naturally wanted their photo with the laowai :)

If you have seen the Night Market on the Travel Channel or
Food Network at home, then you know anything is fair
game for consumption. While the locals actually come here
to EAT the street food, tourists are mostly here to dare
each other to take a bite so they can snap a photo.
Eli was pondering the scorpions, centipedes, seahorses
and starfish that were all still live and wiggling on kebob sticks.