Chair Skating at Ho Hi Lake

It was our last week of winter break and the kids were starting to get bored, so my good friend Hilary and I piled up all of the kids and went down into the Hutong's of Beijing to go to Ho Hi Lake for a little chair skating.  What is chair skating you ask???  Well it kind of looks like a school desk chair that you push around on ice with handcrafted poles........and by handcrafted I mean it is a screw driver with metal spikes soddered to it.  It is seriously a hazard just waiting to happen.
We got down to the Ho Hi area and started exploring.  I absolutely love going to the hutong's, there is always something interesting going on and I feel like I am really experiencing life in China there.  We made our way up to the "frozen" lake, which was questionable considering all of the 40 and 50 degree temps we have been having in the Jing, to assess the situation.  Ella checked it out and then stated, "Mom, I see a few people out there that are bigger than you and they haven't fallen through the ice yet.   I think we are safe."  Well then, there you have it.  Doesn't that sound like reasonable logic from a 10 year old?  Ok, then let's go! 
I guess at any given time there are hundreds of people out on the lake "chair skating".  They will all line up in a train and make a chair conga line, if you will.  I am sorry that I missed that.  It would have made for some great entertainment and pictures. 
The kids had a ball racing around the ice.  They were trying to escape the Chinese paparazzi that would occasionally follow them around to catch a shot of the "western kids".  They did a good job of keeping away from the "thin ice" that was marked off by a rubber cone. sheesh!  Also, none of them put an eye out or lacerated a liver by being stabbed with the "skating poles".  All in all it was a great time had by all!
We followed it up with some Hutong pizza for lunch and the biggest ball of cotton candy you have ever seen for dessert.  It was the perfect way to wrap up Winter Break!


The chair skate

Julia a little too close to the thin ice markers.........................really???

HoHi Lake

Ella and Jane

The kids racing

My friend Hil giving Ella a push.

The crew

Julia displaying how sharp the poles are............serious hazard!  Ella please don't lose an eye.

This momma was the Apollo Ono of chair skating!!

Ella Bell

I was really questioning if this ice was thick enough.........what do you think??  I wonder how many people were involuntarily inducted into the polar bear club????

I love this. 

Heading through the hutong to go to Hutong Pizza.

Beautiful lanterns

Really delicious looking street food.  Yes, those are scorpions and a star fish.

This lady, wearing a wolf hat,  was making the biggest balls of cotton candy I have ever seen.



This is going to cause cavities and possible diabetes.

The mystery machine in the Hutong....................Scooby Doo, where are you?

Julia with her new "ears".  I think she looks like something out of the cartoon Aurther.