At long last, a snow day
It was just as I described in December's beijing kids. One morning last week we woke up to a little bit of snow outside our window.
After lunch, we started to drive north of Changping, into the hills, in search of deep enough snow to play in. We crossed the ridge at Yanzikou, and then stopped at the Ming Tomb Kangling. There was just enough snow to make snow balls, but not much else.
It was still early enough. We wondered if it would be worth a drive into Yanqing County, to see the Great Wall (again) in the snow.
More after the jump
The roads going up the mountain weren't great.
We were tempted to turn around without reaching the Great Wall until we saw this team of snow removal trucks heading down the road. The return drive promised to be much easier (it was).
Once we reached the path to the Great Wall, we saw that coming here was exactly what we needed. For me, there was pretty snow-encased landscape and snow-covered Great Wall.
And for the kids there was snow to play in and slide on.
We did encounter two other snow-seekers who were just as excited to take pictures of the foreign kids in the snow as the Great Wall in the snow.
There were, of course, snow angels made on the Great Wall.
I know; if we were home in the US we would be driven crazy by the excessively cold temperatures and unrelenting snow fall. As I mentioned in my December column, living someplace so cold and dry as Beijing my kids are snow-starved. The ice skating season does provide some winter distraction, but once that is over (as it has been for a few weeks), there's not much to draw them outdoors.
After lunch, we started to drive north of Changping, into the hills, in search of deep enough snow to play in. We crossed the ridge at Yanzikou, and then stopped at the Ming Tomb Kangling. There was just enough snow to make snow balls, but not much else.
It was still early enough. We wondered if it would be worth a drive into Yanqing County, to see the Great Wall (again) in the snow.
More after the jump
The roads going up the mountain weren't great.
We were tempted to turn around without reaching the Great Wall until we saw this team of snow removal trucks heading down the road. The return drive promised to be much easier (it was).
Once we reached the path to the Great Wall, we saw that coming here was exactly what we needed. For me, there was pretty snow-encased landscape and snow-covered Great Wall.
And for the kids there was snow to play in and slide on.
We did encounter two other snow-seekers who were just as excited to take pictures of the foreign kids in the snow as the Great Wall in the snow.
There were, of course, snow angels made on the Great Wall.
I know; if we were home in the US we would be driven crazy by the excessively cold temperatures and unrelenting snow fall. As I mentioned in my December column, living someplace so cold and dry as Beijing my kids are snow-starved. The ice skating season does provide some winter distraction, but once that is over (as it has been for a few weeks), there's not much to draw them outdoors.
Comments
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.