Great Wall/Summer Palace

Sleep went some better last night. Neither of us got a full night’s sleep, but we are getting closer. All of our families arrived by last night, so this morning was our first time together. We have a wonderful group to travel with, and have really enjoyed our time together.

The heat and humidity that we felt yesterday made a return visit today. We have sweat more in the last two days than we have in the last 2 years. Still, our day was full of wonderful experiences we will never forget. Our first stop was at a Jade factory. We learned all about the different types of Jade and visited a store full of Jade jewelry sculptors and other Jade products. After some shopping in the store, we were off to the Great Wall. We visited the Juyong Pass section of the wall. It was amazing to see and think about the size of this amazing structure. The wall was built in the mountains to make it easier to defend. We walked up some very steep portions of the wall before returning to the base where we started.

After the Great Wall and lunch, we visited the Summer Palace. As with the Forbidden City, much of this site was closed for renovation. However, the parts we visited were very impressive. The artwork, color, and intricacies of the buildings really can’t be appreciated in photos. Also, the sizes of these sites are amazing. One corridor at the site runs for 2000 ft along the man made lake. After a boat ride across the lake, we visited a Pearl Factory before returning to our hotel.

Tonight we will pack our bags and leave around 8 am tomorrow for the airport. We are scheduled to arrive in Nanchang a little after noon, and should meet Piper at 4. Due to the changes in city and hotel, we will once again have to determine what options are available for internet and our ability to update the site. By that time, we will have Piper with us. We will get updated information and picture out to everyone as soon as possible.

Less than 19 more hours………