23 Mar 2018
All the sights were as interesting and wonderful as expected. Best was our guide Rocky who knew all the history and interesting stories to go with. He speaks excellent unaccented English, very easy to understand. He took care of getting me around in a wheelchair due to my limited walking. This was an exercise in kindness as well as exertion. The walk up to the cable car is not trivial. Rocky got me up there and back in the chair. We happened to have our tour on the first day of snow in Beijing this season. Everybody was out to see the Wall and City in the snow! The tour company agreed in advance to provide a guide who could handle the wheelchair for an extra charge to be paid in cash to the guide, if our hotel could provide the chair. Indeed our hotel, the Grand Hyatt near the Forbidden City, had them available at no charge for guests. If you have limited walking, this is a way to see these historical sights which you might miss otherwise.
Another more contemporary highlight was the delicious dumpling lunch included at a restaurant where we were the only blonds. : All together it was a very good day.