Saturday, June 24, 2006
Ni Hao!! Day one and we had an action packed afternoon touring
with our group. So far we are having a fabulous time! The Holt
staff are taking excellent care of us.
We started the day with a tour of the Great Wall. It is truly an
amazing site and we were very aware that we were standing at one
of the great monuments of the world. This was the first
interaction with members of our traveling group so we spent time
hiking and getting to know one another - they are all very nice
people. The goal was to hike to the top of our section of the
Wall which we accomplished, but it was definitely challenging.
We were all a bit embarrassed by the shape we are in! As you can
see from the photos, a huge sign was fixed in the countryside
announcing the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
After a group lunch we headed back to Beijing to tour the
Hutongs by rickshaw. We also toured a courtyard home and met the
owners. It was very interesting. The Chinese people are truly
friendly and hospitable.
Fell into bed early and exhausted - successfully fighting off
jet lag. One more day 'til meeting Annabel!! |
Great Wall with 2008 Olympic Beijing sign
The entire gang climbing the Great Wall
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