It's been awhile and we have a lot of catching up to do!  January has come and gone--I have some adventures to share with you AND I am one year older! 

How did I celebrate my birthday you might ask?  Well, let me show you...  
Shawn arrived just in time for the celebration.

Houhai Lake, completely frozen over and prepped for some classic Chinese winter fun!

Chair skating...It's a two-seater sled and you push yourself around with metal pokers...not super safe and would NEVER fly in the States :)

My chair skating companions from front to back:
Shawn, me, Keith, Matt, Lauren :)

Next Up, the GREAT WALL OF CHINA in the Winter! 

The last time Shawn was here we saw the Great Wall of China in the hot summer heat and dodged other tourists as we clambered around.  This time however, the Wall offered a much more serene getaway.  

The Great Wall of China in the Summertime

VS...

Great Wall of China in the Wintertime 

Although the photos of the Great Wall in the summer are nicer to look at, I really loved our winter visit.  We hit the AQI (Air Quality Index) perfectly--January was a horrid air month in Beijing with little wind to send the smog elsewhere.  The night before our scheduled Wall adventure, the winds picked up and cleared the valley out and we had a lovely day on our 2.5 hour hike!  The Wall was basically emptied of tourists and we walked, climbed, and then walked and climbed some more.  

The best part of our visit was the luge on the way down!  

These Mongolians were waiting for us at the bottom.  I had to check and make sure we came down on the correct side of the wall!  Okay, not really :)

Up next...February break in Seoul and THAILAND!