Ugh...Today was definitely NOT a good day. I came down with my first ever case of, well, you can guess. We went to the Hard Rock Cafe last night to answer the craving for American food, but this morning I discovered it wasn't worth the effort. I should have remembered that even an international chain has to get its food from somewhere. So something I ate or drank there did NOT agree with the tummy at all.
We went to Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden City this morning, but I don't remember much except that the square was where the demonstration in 1989 was held where the Chinese army came and just started shooting, and the Forbidden City is the palace of one of the emperors and it is called Forbidden because in ancient Chinese times, commoners were not allowed to enter the walls. It is a huge place with many buildings and it is beautifully restored like all the rest.
Unfortunately, I couldn't concentrate on anything because I felt so bad, so I just got the recorded tour earphones and went to the gardens at the end of the palace and sat in the shade listening to the tape until the rest of the group showed up. If I hadn't been sick, it would have been a lovely morning sitting in the relatively uncrowded garden.
After the Forbidden city, though, I just couldn't go on :( I went back to the hotel, which was an adventure in itself because I went alone armed only with the address of the hotel and hopes that the cabbie knew where he was going. Since I slept all afternoon, I was able to go to the acrobatics show at 6, so that made me happy.
The show was really great. These kids between 8 and early 20s tumbled and flipped and twisted their bodies into all these crazy shapes, and balancing spinning dishes on sticks while doing somersaults, flipping bowls into heads while balancing on a see-saw, balancing twelve girls on a single bicycle! It was so cool to watch! I'm very glad I went, but even that bit of activity reminded me that I'm not feeling well, though, so I'm going to bed again - at 9:30 PM. Earliest so far this trip.
