Whoever thought a wall would be famous?

What a day! We were in the lobby to meet our group at 9:30am and headed off to the Great Wall of China . We went to the Juyongguan Pass section. This section is significant in that it was the only pass accessible from Mongolia. It was a rather warm day and the sun was actually shining. At this section, we could have walked for several hours but were limited by time. We did go quite far and had a great view from the area we climbed to. The steps are all different heights. I don't know if this was easier or more difficult, but it felt out of balance. The way down was more difficult in stepping, but we did not have to stop to catch our breath at all. I cannot describe how exhilerating it felt to be on the Great Wall! This is one of the world's greatest engineering feats, certainly the largest manmade structure in the world!

Needless to say, we were a sweaty mess when we arrived back on the bus!


Next stop was the Cloisonne Factory. This work is all hand laid. It takes about one week to complete a small vase (about 8") and one month for a large vase (24"). It is very beautiful! Of course, after the tour, you get dumped out into the gift shop - just like Disney World. Before we were allowed to shop, we had lunch as a group in a restaurant there. There were several great dishes on the lazy susan on the table. Most very good. Only one fish head on the table and no mystery dishes.

We did shop in the gift shop and found some great items for future gifts for Lara (this is not one of them - it would cost several hundred if not a few thousand dollars, not to mention getting it home).

Next stop - the Summer Palace. A beautiful summer home - all on 290 hectares with a manmade lake and a 782m covered walkway along the shore (the emperor's mother enjoyed walking outside, but was unable to do so in the inclimate weather, so "volunteer" workers built this walkway). Must be nice! We took a boat ride on the lake and walked through so quick that I am sure we missed many areas of this most beautiful place.

A "marble" boat on the lake. The legend says that if your boat sinks, your kingdom will sink.

Grandma's covered walkway

Our final stop of the day was not actually a stop but meerly a drive-by. We were driven past the Bird's Nest - the stadium built for this summer's Olympic Games. It will seat 100,000 and will house the opening and closing ceremonies. Nearby is the Olympic Village and the Natatorium.

The Bird's Nest

We truly have enjoyed our stay in Beijing thanks to our wonderful guides Tracy, Grace and Catherine. They have been so helpful and willing to answer all our questions.

Our checked bags are already down in the lobby for tomorrow's flight to Nanning. We leave the hotel at 8am.