Day 3 was a full day tour with the group. We first stopped at a Jade exhibition center and learned all about the different types of jade. I, of course, made some purchases. I have gotten quite the reputation as a shopper on this trip. While I was shopping, Glenn told everyone the story of our dinner last night. So now we have the reputation of most adventurous as well! After shopping, we headed to Ming Tombs. This is an area where the 13 emperors from the Ming dynasty are buried. The tombs are quite large because when the Emperor died, his concubines would also commit suicide so they could be buried with him. We didn’t get to see the actual tombs, just the gates and the stone statutes lining the walkway in between. Then it was off to lunch and more shopping. We went to a place that made copper pots and vases. It was interesting to learn the process from molding the copper, to creating designs with wire, to filling in the designs with enamel and then polishing. After lunch, it was finally time for the main event – the Great Wall. Driving through the hills, we were able to catch glimpses here and there. Then we got there and headed up the wall. Climbing on the wall up to the Towers is very steep. It was quite an exhausting experience! We climbed to the first tower, almost got flattened by the wind, and then headed back down for a celebratory beer.
We had about a 90 minute bus ride back. Because I was so tired, we decided to just do fast food across the street for dinner. It was pretty funny because we walked in and the staff looked scared for us because nothing was in English. We just pointed to some pictures on the wall and ended up with a pretty good meal. We headed to the Chinese bakery next door for dessert and the hotel bar for a night cap. Sunday is a free day so I can’t wait to see what kind of adventure we will have.
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