For Pat's complete China slideshow, click here.

When I answered my bedside phone and the voice at the other end said, “Ni hao, this is your six-fifteen wakeup call,” I knew I wasn’t in New Hampshire anymore. Even jet-lag and a lousy night’s sleep couldn’t subdue my excitement at being in China (China!) with my 21-year-old daughter, Meghan, and the other members of our American tour group. I’m not typically an early riser, but it didn’t take long for me to get going that morning. After all, Beijing awaited!

May 2009