So here’s the post of the Great Wall. Hey, did you know this is one of the great architectural wonders of the world? Heehee. I think the most impressive view of the wall was from the bus, my very first view. The first view was the most exciting, but also, from a distance you can see a few miles of wall. Up close, the wall was…a wall. It undulates along the high point of the ridge, sometimes ascending and descending very steeply. Of course, all along the wall are the vendors selling custom stamps made of soft jade, hats, t-shirts, and so on. The section we were on was the most visited and it was quite crowded, but not so crowded where you couldn’t enjoy it. I was hoping that we’d go beyond the popular point, up along a steep rise to a high tower, but, with a tour, that wasn’t an option. No huge loss.

Cool Panorama of the wall:

“Summon not storms with thine magical horn!”:

After the Wall, we went back to Beijing to check out one of the residences of the infamous “Dragon Lady”, the Summer Palace. There’s a cool temple here (that is off limits) and huge lake, Kunming Lake, that was dug out…a long time ago. This is where the Marble Boat is too.

One of nine sons of some dragon (he’s pretty cool lookin’):

But, my memory from here were the really aggressive street vendors selling the knock-off Gucci and Louis Vuitton bags. I helped one rich lady buy a black Gucci bag for about $3.50. They look nice, no telling how long they last though. Heck, for one night it would be worth it. I think the experience is worth it…especially watching the other Americans try to deal with them. They don’t realize that “It’s very nice! No thank you.” emboldens them. You can tell who are the worst at this. I’d look back and see some American turning and talking to them (no doubt telling them how nice the merchandise looked), then the vendor would simply increase the aggression. As the American would continue to smile and say “No” (though still complimenting the merchandise), more would appear eventually encircling the poor sap. Some people would just give in and buy others would try to talk their way out of it. But, eventually, we all learn how best to do it. Otherwise, your stay in China could be frustrating.