Connecticut China Connection

The Great Wall has an incredibly long history. As an American growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, it is a symbol of the opening up of China to the world. I remember when President Nixon visited The Great Wall and we Americans began to know more about China.

After arriving at the Wall, we were given 90 minutes to walk it. All 4000+ miles? We told to the right is the “more better way”. Mr. Crawford and I went left along with several thousand of our friends. The other million or so people went the better way.

We decided that we must have made the best choice since a heavily guarded group of dignitaries went the same way.

Our goal was to make the second tower.

We made it!

Even though this section of the Wall was reconstructed in the second half of the 20th century, I learned many things from the experience.

1) This is not a wall that scenically rolls endlessly over the hills. These hills are STEEP! And the wall follows the hilltops. At times the slope of wall easily exceeded 45%. Sometimes there were steps, sometimes only sloped rock. What a climb!

2) The wall is not just great because of its length, but also its width. Much of the time 6 to 8 people could walk side-by-side on the wall.

3) The wall is not straight. It follows the crest of the hills, twisting and turning with the jagged hills.

4) The great wall attracts tourists. Many, many tourists. Thousands of tourists at one time. Most of the tourists were Chinese. This indicated to me that it is of great significance to the Chinese people.

Yin Wua, Cherry Tree

Check the Gallery under The Great Wall for many photos from both of us.

Mr. Wood

During the first part of our trip, we have been American Tourists. That’s written on our foreheads, or at least it seems that way.

For me, this is a new experience. I have traveled many times in Europe, but always independently. We have always traveled by public transportation of by rental car, finding our own way, creating our own travel plan on our own schedule.

On this trip, I am part of a group with a very busy pre-planned schedule. Saturday was the peak of tourist schedules.

7:40 AM Depart the hotel.

8:00AM Beijing Antique Market.
This was a wonderful experience. I think we were the only American tourists amidst this massive open air market filled with Chinese vendors and customers bargaining and negotiating sales and purchases.

See the Antique Market post.

9:00 AM Travel to The Great Wall
This trek took us to the North of Beijing to an area referred to as Badaling. Our arrival there was a reminder that we are American tourists. Our buses passed many, many cars and buses stopping to let off passengers. As we arrived at what seemed to be the end of the line, the bus managed to continue onward. When we arrived at the last parking lot, OUR bus continued onward. All along the way, hundreds of people were walking to the entrance. WE were riding. We were dropped off at the plaza in front of the entrance.
(After returning to the bus at the end of the visit, I was grateful for having been dropped at the entrance, but still was embarrassed by being among the privileged.)

See The Great Wall posts for more details. It was fantastic!

1:30 PM Travel to the Cloisonne Factory
After a brief tour and lunch, we had 45 minutes to shop for gifts.

3:00 PM Travel to the Pearl Factory
After a brief introduction to the pearl industry by a very animated young woman, we had one hour to shop.

4:00 PM Walk next door to the Jade Factory
After a brief introduction to the jade industry, we had one hour to shop.

Do you see a pattern developing?

5:00 PM Sit in traffic

6:00 PM Travel to a Tea House
After a brief tea ceremony, we had 30 minutes to shop. The pattern was broken here. See 5:00.

7:00 PM Travel to the Beijing Acrobats show. This was fascinating. I wish we were allowed to take pictures. See Acrobats post.

9:00 PM Travel to dinner.
Everyone was exhausted, so dinner was much shorter than normal.

10:00 PM travel to the hotel.

Whew!

Mr. Wood