We finally got our luggage: here are the pictures to prove it ...

We were up on our hotel's rooftop terrace when we found out the good news ...

so we decided to hit the streets, where we came across the Drum Tower where Ted got friendly with the locals.


The view was amazing ... or at least it would have been if it weren't for the smog ...

but we had a great time anyway. After that, we ended up wandering towards Houhai Lake, where we found China's answer to Tenacious D ...

which made us want to get some more exercise. Luckily, you can find these jazzercise palaces in little corners of Beijing ...

along with a starbucks next to the lake. How great is this place?

But tomorrow the fun really starts, as every one is getting ready for National Day. The flags are out and waving proudly, and there are even more men standing around on the street in ill-fitting uniforms than usual. We'll be going to Tienanmen to catch all of the patriotic action and get caught up in the national fervor.

Also, if you want much more eloquent accounts of our travels, you can always go over to Ted's blog at http://www.flyingelephantexpress.blogspot.com. We can't read our blogs here in China (we haven't seen the great wall yet, but we've sure come across the great firewall), so you should. And as always, you can always email Ted or I if you want to keep in touch.