CHINA TRIP 2006

Woke up to get ready for the Great Wall today. Very foggy outside. Ate breakfast and was ready to go at 8am. Got on a very comfortable bus and rod two hours North to get to the Wall. We drover through very green areas and saw several shepherds with sheep. We also drove up into the mountains. It wasn't like the mountains in HK or what I pictured (China has vast and varied topography) but it was beautiful. We got there and the hawkers starteted hawking...but we were headed to get our tickets. This was an unusal thing but normally you would walk up to the wall (and you could do that) but we bought ski lift tickets to take us to the top. Very cool. And to get down you rode down the mountain on a skid or toboggan. Cool!!!! I rode up with Tommy Smith and that was fun. There was mist all around through the trees and in that valleys.

We got to the top and I put my thin jacket on. BIG mistake!! The wall is very cool but it goes up and down, up and down and it's very steep. I had to take the jacket off after about 5 minutes. I quickly realized I would work up a good sweat. I know I looked like I just took a shower. Whew! The vews were gorgeous but limited becuase of the fog. I climbed pretty good though. I wasn't sore the next day. Anyway, we were all set to skid down the mountain but the fog was so dense that it made the slide too wet. So we couldn't go down that way. We just took the ski lift. I rode down with Charlie. We looked at all the wares and had an apple pancake. There version of it (see pictures). Hopeed on the bus and Matt and Tom bought snacks for us. Dried strawberries, apricots, some cashews and bananas and sodas. Gooo ooo oood! We were pretty tired I think, so we slept mostof the way back to Beijing. Our driver dropped us off at the pearl market again. I have so many souvenirs!! Aaaahh! Some of us went back to the hotel from the market while some of went to the Temple of Heaven. Very impressive! We walked through a park to get there and the people were out visiting and playing music. Soooooo not something we do in America. (It was different from being in a park in America, trust me.) We took taxis back to the hotel and unloaded our goodies. At 6:30 we began our journey to our duck dinner. We walked to the restaurant which was located in a residential area. Very run down but the restaurant is very famous. Laura Bush tried to eat there but her security cars couldn't get through the narrow streets. I thought Tom go lost, but he, of course, go us there. The dinner was awesome. I could eat all that duck by myself. So good!! I tried the duck pate. It wasn't that great. An acquired taste? Well I had a lot to eat, so I had to go to the bathroom. I was all ready to go in the restaraunt, but there was none. There was a public toliet outside and down the street. Tom went with me. I was a little worried. No lights around the place and I almost went into the guys. The girls was further back. Tom checked it first to make sure there wasn't any muggers. When I went in, to my great surprise, I found that the bathroom was lit and tiled AND had a Western potty. Saints be praised!! And let me tell you I had to go if you know what I mean.

After dinner we walked back to the hotel. I checked email and bought more gifts. Went upstairs to pack. All my souviners fit in my little bag I grought just for the occasion! YAY! I think I had more room inmy regular suitcase! Awesome! I got all ready for bed and set the alarm for 5:41pm (hit the snooze once).