Sightseeing in Beijing

We took a trip to the Great Wall this morning. It is about a 1 1/2 drive from our hotel. The drive was interesting to say the least. Our driver was fantastic. He could definitely have a career in NASCAR. We darted in and out of traffic and avoided hitting bicycles and pedestrians. When we finally reached the Great Wall we took a sky car to the top. The view from the wall is amazing. It is very serene, despite the crowd of visitors. The trip down to the car was not so peaceful. Vendors selling souvenirs pack the walk way. "Lady! You buy T-Shirt!" "Panda for the baby!" Needless to say, they had our number. We went home with several souvenirs, and the lady we bought them from went home with a good story about the silly Americans she took to the cleaners. Live and learn I guess!

All in all it was a beautiful day. We ended it with a delicious spicy meal with our friend Annie. I'll post pics of our meal later. Now off to bed! Tomorrow we head for Zhengzhou.