Final Day in Beijing

Ni Hao!

Stage 1

So yesterday we went to the Great Wall with about 15,000 of our closest friends. This place was intimidating from the start.  I'm not sure what I really expected, but the worlds largest staircase was not on my list.

The gentle slop is very deceptive

This being THE Great Wall we ran into people of all nationalities, which seemed to be the most entertaining for the local Chinese, I've never had to pose for so many pictures with complete stranger before.  It was quite a site to see the large groups of Sikhs walk ten feet get stopped to get a photo taken then walk another ten feet only to be stopped again.  As it turns out, many of the Chinese we encountered on the wall were actually there for the first time or on their first vacation in a decade.  Many of them had never seen foreigners before, so even we were quite a site for them.
So after getting out of the parking lot, our real challenge began, Jacob (our guide) gave us 2 hours to "explore".  So two hours up and down, no problem... apparently I underestimated the idea of a "Great Wall".  The first 5 minutes were cake, then we came tot he first set of stairs, even I had to stretch to make some of these steps, it was a bit entertaining to see a small Chinese child leap up these  stairs like they were nothing, entertaining and humbling.  But the first set of stairs only took us up 10-12 feet, and then we saw  the second set of stairs, a mere 80-90 feet... Crap.

Apparently construction code was very flexible.

I will spare you the tale of my heroic struggle, needless to saw some of the pictures will illustrate the trails and tribulations of my climb.

Top of the First staircase

1st third of the second staircase

Last third of the second staircase

Second Staircase...

Feigning strength on the fourth staircase (Katie is amused)

At the Top... No I did not go swimming...

The view at the Top, I mad it thanks to Katie and Jean-Jacques Tatu and Robyn Crispe (not pictured)

The Wall was absolutely amazing and absolutely exhausting, and as it turns out, two hours was exactly what it took, man Jacob really knows his business...

The real incentive for surviving this grueling climb was the lunch Natasha had planned for us.  Hot Pot was possibly the most amazing meal I've had yet (including the duck feet)

From left to right: David, Natasha, Jean-Jacques, Robyn, and Rex

I leave for Luoyang in a few hours so the short adventure in Beijing is coming to an end.  I'll post again soon.

Zaijian