Day 13 ~ Tuesday 8/8 ~ Sightseeing & Prayer Walking

This was the day that we had set aside for our time to see some of the sights of China … Our bus departure at 7.30 took us for a 1.75 hour journey to the Great Wall of China … we went up on the wall and took a great group photo. Then Tyson & P.D. ventured on to the North while Brian, Melissa, and I trooped up the steep wall to the South. What a great hike … we went fast due to time constraints … weaving in and out, small steps, steep inclines, high narrow steps. Through towers, past vendors, ducking under umbrella points, pausing briefly for pictures on the fly. Breathing hard, pursuing, up, up, up… WOW! It was unfortunate that we had light clouds so our pictures are not super clear, but the adventure had the benefit of a bit of coolness and breeze. We climbed the Great Wall of China!

Once back to the bus, we drove to Tianamen Square and a bunch of hungry tigers tumbled to the street! A quick stop at McDonalds for a few (crazy Americans!) and Chinese for most.

Melissa and I took the grand tour of Tianamen Square and the Forbidden City (where 23 Emperors of the Ming and Ching dynasties lived) while the others took a quicker look and were on their way. The two of us prayed, hand-in-hand, in front of an armed guard in the middle of Tianemen Square and without fear or trepedation celebrated the freedom of religion that is in the Chinese Constitution.

This was another day that went on forever ~ Melissa and I shopped briefly for gifts for family and friends at two malls (The Oriental Plaza much like Park Meadows and the Silk Market which is an entity unto itself) and then barely made it back to the hotel to join our group for a farewell dinner of Peking Duck.

After dinner, Ryan & Steve joined some locals playing hacky sack and then the typical store run for ice cream. The beds are hard as rocks here, but when you're exhausted, you sleep like a rock!

Love, Sherrie

The ancient areas of China are so rich it was hard not to be sad that some past up the opportunity to drip in the heat and learn more!