Getting Around

My agency isn't coordinating any travel to Beijing, but I think we'll be too close to not give it a try ourselves. I found this article this morning on the new high-speed train that connects Beijing and Tianjin - at 200+ MPH it takes just about 30 minutes! There are some great photos...not at all what I imagined it would look like. The trains run frequently and are surprisingly inexpensive, so it looks like we could make as many day trips to Beijing as I'm brave enough to try! It's lucky for us that the Olympics fall when they do, because we'll get the benefit of the spit-shined city (instead of spit-coated, we'll go with spit-shined), more signs in English, better air quality, and this fancy new train. I should hear back today or tomorrow about tour arrangements I'm trying to make on the side for the sites we can't get to by subway....and hopefully also about my Consulate appointment! It has been requested for 9/9...which would mean I'd leave for China on the 28th or 29th and meet Baby J on September 1st! :) Hopefully they will confirm that soon so we can start hammering down some details. I'm ready to go already!