Tom, I'm so sorry that your friends didn't have the wonderful time they thought they did! Maybe you shouldn't even let them know...

I'm concerned about getting on the wrong Chinese bus and ending up somewhere I wasn't wanting to go, and losing valuable sight-seeing time in Beijing. (Daughter will be our guide in other cities, speaking and reading for us, but can't be in Beijing.) I'm trying to learn some characters, but not much progress so far.