The Great Wall

The Bird's Nest

Mrs. Davila on the toboggan slide

On the Great Wall of China

View from The Great Wall

Our day began early this morning with a quick breakfast and then we met our tour guide, Judy, in the lobby of our hotel. We drove for about an hour and a half and made it to The Great Wall at Mutianyu at around 10 a.m. We rode the cable car to the top and then began our walk. We toured 8 watchtowers and traversed up and down the wall, snaking through the beautiful scenery. After about an hour, we made it to the toboggan slides. The ride down the mountain felt great after the workout walking the wall!

After our tour of the wall, our guide took us to a local restaurant for a lunch of fresh trout. The food was fantastic! When lunch was finished, we drove for about an hour back to the city of Beijing and stopped at the Summer Palace. By this time, we were utterly exhausted, but pressed on in order to experience the beauty of the palace. Our guide shared her wealth of knowledge about the Chinese Emperors who traveled to the Summer Palace to escape the overcrowding at the Forbidden City. The grounds were lush and full of shade, a welcome break after the heat we experienced on the wall. At the close of our visit, we took a Dragon Boat across the lake.

Our final stop was a quick viewing of the Olympic venues before heading back to the hotel for a welcomed nap. Tomorrow, we plan on visiting the Forbidden City and possibly taking in a Chinese Acrobat Show. This trip continues to bless us with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the history of China. We are excited to see what tomorrow has in store!