I would love to write up a long post about what we did today. But once again my brain just wants to say, “Buh?” every time I try to string more than a few sentences together. And I don’t think I could handle writing a long post and having half of it be eaten again like happened this morning. So I’ll do some quick highlights. The bulk of today’s sightseeing was spent at the Great Wall (of China). Well, getting there, in large part — it was something like an hour and a half from our hotel in the ridiculous Beijing traffic. On the way we stopped at a jade factory, got another friendly-but-insistent sales pitch, and happily exchanged money for some lovely jade pieces.
Then came the Wall. I was surprised by how majestic it genuinely is in person. I was ambivalent about going but I’m glad we did. However: holy hell are the stairs steep. And holy hell is this area hot and humid. And holy hell was the sun bright. As a result, after climbing most of the way to the top, we started feeling a little passy-outy and/or throwy-uppy. So we let the rest of the group who had made it that far go on, and descended shakily back to ground level, where we pounded Gatorade-like beverages and gradually cooled down.
The sounds coming from the rest of the group once they returned made us glad we’d made this decision.
Afterward, it was to yet another craft factory — Cloisonné — and another massive family-style meal. Then a quick detour through ’08’s Olympic Village for some photos, and back to the hotel. It’s not yet 9:00 but we’re already crashing. I think there’s a part of our brains that knows what time it is back home still. Or maybe it’s just all the walking.
The way I’m posting these seems to choke on more than one photo, so I wanted to post just one from the Wall. (Click to enlarge.) This was taken after the first flight of stairs we climbed. See that tower off in the distance? That’s where we stopped. See those white specks? Those are people. It’s a beautiful site, and I’d come back given the opportunity. But I’d train first.
Just checked the time differential… you are 12 hours ahead of Cleveland. As always, you seem to be living in the future. Just read through the updates, glad you made it safely and are doing touristy things. Funny that while you were cooling your heels at O’Hare, I was enslaved in a conference room just inside the Loop.
Any expectations on timing for the rest of your adventure?
Enjoy your Saturday night, and make sure you keep up on your sleep!!
Looking at these post backwards. What a amazing trip!