Day 9

6.30.09

Today we departed early for a secluded spot, sans other tourists, on the Great Wall of China!!! We’re all very excited about it. Before we went to the Wall, we stopped after a half hour at a jade factory/store. We learned that white jade is used and worn in death, and the darker green the jade, the better quality (and more expensive!). Grandma bought a gorgeous jade bracelet; she says it’s getting darker every day in some areas. Jade, no matter what color, means happiness. Two hours after the factory, we arrived at the Wall. We had lunch beforehand, a very traditional meal, with the best corn either of us had had in ages. To get to the actual Great Wall, we had to take a cable car up to the top of a mountain, and then walk a distance to finish the trek. As we arrived at the top of the cable car line, we were met by twenty two locals, who were our ‘walking companions’ we had been told about before we went up. They would walk around with us, then expect us to buy something at the end of the walk. It sounds a bit odd, but it was nice having them there to help us along. This part of the Wall is not very often visited by tourist groups, and it’s a bit run down in places. One part of it is the oldest watchtower on the entire Great Wall of China. As we descended the steps to the ancient tower, our guides held our hands (it was so cute!) and made sure we wouldn’t fall. Grandma’s guide really helped her when she reached the steep stairs that seemed to be at a 60 degree slant! The lady that was walking with me was this adorable tiny old lady, who was in remarkable shape for her age- she seemed about 75 or 80! After the beautiful, gorgeous, breathtaking and phenomenal view from atop the Great Wall, we descended down the mountain in our cable car and headed over to where there were little shops for the few tourists passing through. Our guides that had walked with us on the Wall had hiked down the mountain were down well before we were, their speed was remarkable! Following the Wall, we made a visit to the Olympic Park to see the Birds Nest Stadium, Water Cube, and surrounding area. After that, we went our to dinner at a nice looking restaurant. This was our ‘Duck Banquet’; we watched guys carve our duck then had thin little tortillas to put it in with plum sauce, onions and cucumbers as well. Very tasty! Finally, we were back at the hotel after our dinner. Scotty asked everyone if we wanted masseurs sent to our rooms for massages, so we decided to do that. We waited quite some time but finally they came, and it was fantastic! At the very end, when they were massaging our feet, they filled 2 plastic bags with hot water and placed teabags in them, letting the tea seep in before putting our feet in.. It was said to be Chinese medicine, and it felt good! Exhausting day today and it is over!