The Wall

Slept well even though the bed was hard. Arranged to have a feather bed put over the mattress. Hotel is beautiful and luxurious. Had another breakfast buffet with Chinese and Western food. Boarded our bus and first stop was a jade factory where we’re shown how it is carved and polished and then led to their huge store. Continued on to the Great Wall at a site called Juyongguan which is a recently restored section. What we could see were lots of steps leading into the steep hills. We got off the bus and climbed a wide staircase to a level area and then began the adventure. Jeff and I bought “I Climbed The Great Wall” tee shirts and wore them immediately. We climbed the uneven steps and rested and talked with people from all over the world. It was tiring and exhilarating all at once. We got pretty far and decided it was enough and headed back. It was lots of exercise and not as spiritual as I had hoped, but an experience I will never forget.

A welcome lunch break was at a cloissone factory. After another lazy susan meal we (surprisingly) had time to shop. The afternoon activity was a visit to the Ming tombs and we stopped at the largest one. Toured the temples, museum and grounds and climbed up to see the dirt mound which is the actual tomb.

Next was my favorite activity in Beijing. We went for a pedicab ride in the Hutong district. This is an area with old houses set in walled neighborhoods. We were driven through and visited a courtyard home and met the family. Part of the neighborhood was becoming an entertainment section with many outdoor bars with couches set on the sidewalks.

Tonight we enjoyed a Peking duck dinner which was in a restaurant located in a shopping mall. We had a full Chinese meal plus the duck wrapped in flat pancakes. Very delicious!