A Full Day in Beijing

We started early today and got on the road to the Great Wall. It can take up to two hours to get there but we had another light traffic day today due to smog. Out tour guide was stuck in Mongolia today due to unsafe flying conditions caused by poor visibility. The pall just hung over the City when we left today. The idea of climbing the wall with that pollution mask on was not very appealing.

When we got to the Wall the sun actually came out and the air was clear (or looked clear anyway) at this higher elevation. The Great Wall is simply awe inspiring. It is located in such a mountainous region and it goes on for so many miles (over 400) it is hard to believe that kind of construction would have been possible that many years ago. I dare say it would be a feat to attempt today even with the variation in equipment. The higher you climb the more perspective you get as to just how much distance it covers and to what an effective deterrent it might have been.

Climbing it is not for the faint at heart. It is comprised almost entirely of steep ramps and stairs with very uneven risers. As in most tourist places that we have visited in China it had no effective handrails or safety barriers. There were a lot of domestic tourists and a few Europeans out and about. My Mom and I participated in a great number of selfies with tourists… still sticking out among the crowds! The views were dizzying and for a construction geek like myself hard to comprehend. The girls all seemed to be enjoying themselves and took the workout in stride. A few folks (no one in my band of travelers) have been bothered by the pollution. The oldest adoptee in our group celebrated a birthday today. I’d say that was a pretty memorable sweet 16!

The Chinese Government controls tourism in China so no group trip to the GW would be complete without a couple of sales pitches along the way. We dined in a Cloisonné shop on the way out. The first dining area that I have seen forks along with our chopsticks. The next stop a silkworm presentation with a retail silk store at the end. A number of us bought silk quilts for our daughters. Another gift from their past to send them with when they move in to adulthood.

We even stopped at the Olympic Village on the way back to the Hotel. The smog was so bad (my family has sore throats) that some of us just chose to stay on the bus but Erich got right out there. This condition is also making for some poor picture taking.

Coco has a real friend in Vivian. The two of them were inseparable today. They climbed the wall together, dined and shopped together and are looking forward to a trip to the hotel swimming pool tonight after dinner. I wonder if they will keep in touch over the years? Speaking of their shared past with another soul that can understand what it means.

Tonight for dinner we had the traditional Peking Duck. The chef came out and carved for us thin strips of crispy skin. You took this skin and placed it on the thinnest, most delicate rice pancake with a vertical slice of scallion and cucumber and a sweet, hoisin type sauce. It is then rolled up and eaten with your hands. It was delicious. Every time I looked over at Coco she was preparing another pancake. She thought that dish was a hit!

Tomorrow we are scheduled to go to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. We are really worried about being outside all day in the pollution. This afternoon we will participate in a Citizens Panel where the girls will hear more about what their lives would have been like in China. Tonight our group boards a train sleeper car to Xian. We are flying instead (that sounded too much like a sardine can to me). The airport has grounded many flights so we will have to wait and see if we need to train instead.