The Great Wall of Masculinity, Snowy Summer Palace and Other Beijing Wonders

There's an old Chinese proverb that says, "A man that has not climbed the Great Wall of China is not a man." Since Jim's "Ninja Warrior Fail" in Tokyo (see earlier blog post), the Great Wall provided a perfect opportunity for him to gain his masculine status back. Jim left it up to me to decide what area of the Wall we should climb and after some reseach, I chose what was said to be the most difficult climb - the area of Sumatai. Despite the snowy conditions all week, we picked a wonderful clear day to make the journey. We scampered up the eroded stone stairways, sometimes having to use both hands to help our way up the icy spots. We were excited that we didn't need to take breaks between steep climbs and had the path to ourselves for most of the day. Just when we were feeling proud of our skills, we passed by a Chinese local selling refreshments on a table and a woman shoveling away snow on the stone path. While enjoying the amazing view, we thought about the workers who had to carry bricks up these mountains to build the wall, which is thousands of miles long. So, according to the proverb, we may have left the wall as men; but our opinions of being "tough or athletic" has been humbled by the Chinese.

We arrived to Beijing by way of ferry - which turned out to be a wonderful way to travel to China. The weather, views and food couldn't have been better. Jim and I were happy to find that we were the only westerners on board. We made friends to who helped us brush up on both our table tennis and language skills. We were a hit on karaoke night, and many of our fellow travelers wanted to take pictures with us. The fifty hour trip flew by : ) We arrived in Tianjin on Jim's birthday (Nov. 8), and the journey to where we stayed in Tienamen was an adventure. In one day we traveled by ferry, foot, taxi and bus.

Beijing overwhelmed us with its incredible beauty and history. We visited the Forbidden City and Summer Palace, which was especially interesting covered in snow. The architecture and artisitic designs are absolutely stunning. We feel a real sense of history here in China, a place that has struggled and grown over the last 5,000 years - especially compared to the young 200 year old United States.

The snow was a surprise to us and other travelers alike. So where do you go when you're in a foreign place and not prepared for the weather? I'm embarrassed to admit that we patroned the local Wal-Mart for extra gear we needed to withstand the snow. Now we're headed for an overnight train to Xi'an - warm weather here we come!

-Jenn