Today I got to check an item off my bucket list—we climbed the Great Wall of China! It was another hot day here in Beijing, but fortunately there were many trees that provided patches of shade along the long walk. I’m sure my thighs will be sore tomorrow, but the views and experience were definitely worth it. There were people from all around the world visiting the Wall—I heard Spanish, French, English, Mandarin of course, and several other languages I couldn’t quite recognize.
At the end of our climb up the Wall, we decided to take the metal luge/chute/slide down. It was exhilarating and a great way to get down the mountain to lunch.
Even the drive to the Wall was very enjoyable. It felt nice to get out of the busier heart of Beijing and we passed several orchards where the rows of fruit trees were dotted with clusters of red, orange, and pink flowers. We also saw roadside fruit stands with peaches the size of my face—I’m hoping we get to try some of those soon!