The Great Wall and me

Sunday was our day to visit the Great Wall. Not that we have a designated day or anything, but the work begins on Monday, so Sunday was the last chance to visit with any extended time.

It's about a 45 minute ride from Beijing, for which we commandeered a taxi. For the day, the taxi ride, all 6 hours of driving and waiting for us, cost us 600 yuan, which is roughly 85 bucks American. That's about the worst deal we've gotten in China. Again, Coke Zero is 27 cents, and bottles of water will run you about 14 cents, while beer is much pricier at 47 cents per can.

Anyway, the visit to the wall. My observations about one of the 7 wonders of the world? It's much more narrow than I expected. And man, was it crowded with people and umbrellas. Not for any rain, but for the sun. Umbrellas are big here. It's also extremely steep. You are climbing at about a 45 degree angle to get to some of the higher elevations on the wall.

It is an extremely impressive structure, winding its way through the hills as far as the eye can see.

One other story from the wall....it's interesting to me the reaction the Chinese people, especially the young people, have given to us Americans. We were asked to pose three different times with Chinese teenagers for pictures. I turned them down at first, because I thought they were asking for money, but they just love taking pictures with Americans. Very fun, and nice to see that the world doesn't hate Americans as the media loves to sell to us all.

Then, after the time at the wall, we adjourned back to Beijing, where I ate my first American food in China....Papa John's!!! The shrimp pizza and breadsticks might be the best thing I've ever eaten, and it included nothing from the rice family of products.

Monday, though, is officially the start of work in China. More on the international broadcast center and the Olympic work experience later....