Saturday, September
4, 2010
Today was power packed with touring. We started off the day by
going to the Jade Factory. Next we went to the Great Wall. It
was amazing. The sun had peeked through the clouds and the sky
was relatively clear. The Great Wall was spectacular. The past
times we have been here, I have admired the Wall but never
really conquered the Wall. During my last trip here, the German
business men challenged me to rise to the occasion during the
“Face Off” in our Adventure to Braxton. Today, the jeering of my
husband reminding me that I had not achieved the full climb to
the top in the past combined with the older national ladies I
saw sauntering down from the peek with their toddler,
grandchildren in tow convinced me that today was the day to
conquer the Wall. This was not really a “Face Off” but more of a
“Saving Face”. As I climbed the uneven, deep steps huffing away
and stopping twice to take a puff of my inhaler, I momentarily
questioned myself and the pride involved that was taunting me to
continue this potentially fatal attempt to get to the top of the
Wall. Then I spotted yet another older lady (easily twice my
age), happily descending from the top with barely a trickle of
sweat on her brow. Yes, this had to be the day to reach my new
goal. This had to be the day to “Save Face”. My legs shook, my
calves screamed, my lungs burned, and my heart threatened to
beat out of my chest. But eventually I found myself at the top
of the Wall. While I was hoping to find a Star Bucks at the top,
I instead found a stunning view that took my already burning
lungs breath away. We paused (for my legs to stop shaking), and
took in the panoramic view. The Great Wall stretches across
miles and miles of mountainous terrain. The history is awe
inspiring and the climb is ache initiating. But all in all, it
was worth the fight.
Next our whole travel group headed to lunch and ate a wonderful
spread of traditional food. We then took our weary bodies and
walked around the Olympic Village and took in views of the
Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube. While there, we ran into Minnie
Mouse and about 437 vendors trying to sell us 234 items we did
not need. It was quite a scene. Our guide refers to the
demanding, tenacious vendors as mosquitoes and tells us to be
like sticky rice and stay together.
Our group then went to the Chinese Acrobatic Show. It was
incredible. These young people have flexibility, strength and
phenomenal balance. Finally, the day was coming to an end and we
headed back to our hotel. I literally fell into bed in complete
exhaustion. It has been so fun to watch my father-in-law and my
son, Bryce, take in the sights and views for the first time. We
have laughed so much and have really enjoyed each others’
company. They are both exceptional group travelers and have made
friends in our group. Bryce has been hysterically funny as he
has a child-size filter and often says exactly what most of us
are thinking-just don’t dare to say out loud. |
The Great Wall
We Conquered the Wall Together
A View of the Climb
Our Travel Group
Yummy Lunch |
