Beijing, China - Day 4

Does anyone remember a commercial with the Energizer Bunny going along the great wall? Well, that was Dorothy and me today! We charged up those stairs and ramps with a New Yorker's indifference to the personal space and safety of others.

But first we had to get there. The morning started with Dorothy, Pete, Andrea, and me catching a coach bus to the Great Wall. We were all crammed next to strangers and listening to a tour guide we did not understand (Dorothy excluded). My neighbor was a curious little girl who watched me filling out postcards so intensely that I think she might have melted the language barrier; I ended up drawing puppies to amuse her before she crashed into slumber. After an hour long ride we arrived at the Great Wall: it was packed! I quickly reverted to my NY walking skills as Dorothy and I devoured the wall. There were ramps so steep I swore I would slide down, but somehow we managed. It's hard to imagine an army ever even approaching the Wall with all the trees and ravines that surround it. Much too much effort!

The visibility was not grand, as has been the case for our visit so far. The smog in Beijing is so thick that visibility is maybe 200m. The sky is rarely seen, and the air is thick enough to give you temporary smokers' cough. So the view was not spectacular, but the peace of the Wall was incredible. China is serene in ways that other places can never be. Even the willow trees, the saddest trees in Virginia, seem more graceful than solemn here. Part of me would love to be a hermit here - enjoying the quiet of the Chinese forests!



Once again we were dragged into pictures. One woman made a "I found the prize ham" noise when she saw Pete; I half-expected her to start rubbing his belly. But I guess a blond-haired, blue-eyed 6'3" guy stands out a bit. I'm not sure how many scrapbooks I'm becoming a part of, but I'm proud to be White Girl #3 any day!