The Great Wall & Jade Factory

We have had another busy day! We went for a tour of the Jade factory and made a few purchases there. Jade is quite expensive, but it is very popular in China, it is not only worn because it is beautiful, but it is also believed to have some health benefits (good circulation).

After that we were off to the Great Wall of China. It was a little disappointing just because the weather was not that great. It was overcast and foggy and quite humid and I was sweating after only climbing for a little while. We were climbing a rather steep set of steps when I decided I’d had enough. I was surprised Paul decided to quit then too. The thing was you couldn’t see anything above or below because of the fog, so there didn’t seem much point in exerting ourselves so much when we weren’t going to get to enjoy any kind of view. Mom and Dad and Angie, Shannon and Zoe did climb higher than we did and they got to a point where they got a certificate saying they had climbed the Great Wall of China. It’s a nice souvenir and had I known those were available I may have tried to climb a little higher. You could tell that it would be really spectacular on a clear day. It was very lush and green in that area and there were some very nice gardens at the base of the wall.

Paul, Maya and I wandered the grounds at the base and went into a temple which was quite lovely. Maya fell asleep in the snuggli for most of our walk-about and was in great spirits when she did wake.

After we left the Great Wall we went and had lunch at a Chinese restaurant which is above a shop where they make Ming vases. The meal was very nice, there were a variety of dishes, including a whole fish (which I did not eat, I prefer my food with the heads removed). We did some shopping in the store afterwards and I am now the proud owner of a genuine Ming vase. We got back to the hotel around 5pm and are spent the rest of the night relaxing. Maya was a bit fussy going to bed tonight but she is now sleeping peacefully. Tomorrow we are going to the Temple of Heaven and Tiananmen Square.

That’s about all for now, all our love, Tanya, Paul and Maya.