China Day 4: Summer Palace

On the 4th day we decided to go to the Summer Palace. We didn't have a guide today, but it would have helped a lot. We just wandered around and looked at the temples and other buildings. It was a great day to be outside. This picture is of a few temples that were built. We climbed all the way to the top building. Do you see that diamond shape on the middle building? Those are steps and Elyse climbed everyone one of them!
To get to the temples we walked over the 17 Arch Bridge and took a boat ride across the lake. This was Elyse's first boat ride, hard to believe since we are so close to so many boats.

This is a boat made out of marble. There is a replica of it in the Chinese Gardens by our house in Singapore- not made marble though.

Climbing the steps!

Around the different buildings there were steps everywhere divided by a little slope. Elyse had a good time sliding down these slopes. She was pretty dirty by the time we left.

I love this picture of Toby and his girls.

We wandered into the theatre area just as they began to perform different shows on the stage. Elyse got a hat like the ones these women are wearing.

We saw less than half of the Summer Palace grounds it was such a large area, but I think we hit the high-lights. On the way home we were caught in TERRIBLE traffic (which I think is just normal rush hour) but we did pass the Bird's Nest and Ice Cube from the Olympics.