Today was truly memorable... Laurie and I can truly say that we've seen The Wall... Truly Spectacular too... I think I can compare it to when I was in the Navy and working on the flight deck of the Nimitz. Seeing the spectacle before me never got old... I think I could see The Wall every day and still think it is a sight to behold...
I was able to tag along with Laurie, Tracy, and Jim (who both work at ISB). They both are amazing people who come from Malaysia and Australia respectively. We had a driver, who drove like a maniac when he knew where we were going... I don't know how it translates, but the spedomoter frequently was over 180 km/hr.... Movin'. Anyway, the purpose of the trip was to scout out a camp where the Grade 8 students would go for an overnighter. It's about a 45 minute ride from here in Shunyi.
As we drove out of Beijing, you could see and feel the air clearing. It actually was a pretty clear day here, so we could see the mountains from my classroom. But, as we got closer, their beauty sure sprang out... So neat, yet so different from the mountains I am used to back in the US.
Jim pointed out The Wall to us as it came into view and it looks as if someone draped a snake over some hills. As we got closer, I realized the magnitude of this thing. I still have no idea how The Wall was built back then with the technology of the day. How grueling this must have been!
We arrived at the campground that lies at the base of the mountains. It's about a 20 minute hike from camp to The Wall. Because our purpose here was strictly business, I did not venture up the trail to see it. We actually are going on a visit on Sunday, so I was fine just checking it out from a distance...
On our way back, we stopped at a roadside fruit stand and purchased some fruit. We've been able to eat a ton of it here, which has been nice. And today, we tried a few new ones. I really don't know the names of them, but one resembles a date... I also bought some ground cherries (as we call them). And, I could feel my Grandpa Harry and Grandma Mabel smiling down at me then. I have fond memories of this fruit growing in their garden back in Sauk Centre... Love you Grandpa & Grandma!!!
Gearing up for a big weekend. We have the Newbies Pub Crawl tomorrow night.. Then Saturday, Kieran begins soccer. Laurie is also going to get our plane tickets home that day. And Sunday is our family trip to The Wall...
Lastly, it's my brother Philip's birthday today. So, I made our first phone call to the States a bit ago and tried to wake him up and wish him Happy Birthday. He was already up though...
We hope you all are well. We send our love to you all!!!
Riley and Clan
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