Eli and I at Simitai!

If you've ever been away from home and have had visitors come and see you, then you may know the excitement that I felt in anticipation for Eli's visit. He's a good friend from just down the block back home, who was out here visiting his girlfriend Anna.
For the past three weeks, I had been getting ready to hang out with these guys. Last Saturday, we met at Forbidden City to check it out, as well as Tiananmen Square. The only problem is that I woke up that morning feeling like I'd been drug behind a truck from Kasson to Mantorville. Or, maybe I felt like I'd been out with McEldowney and Greene back in our glory days. Either way, I felt horrible.
I made my way there and had no trouble finding the six foot five friend of mine. I was struggling and took an early leave. And, for the next three days, I fought this flu bug and was mad for being a bad host.
But, it all changed on November 26th, my birthday....
I woke up and felt as good as I've felt since the previous week. Eli made it to my school where we met our driver Jeff. Jeff skillfully navigated his way up into the mountains to Simitai. This is where we would be dropped off and get on to the Great Wall. Jeff then drove to our pickup spot at Jinshanling, about a 4 hour hike away...
Eli and I enjoyed some local Chinese food, and humorous attempts at conversation with the gals who ran the restaurant. Good food that provided a perfect start to an amazing experience.
The day was crisp, and perfectly clear. The air felt great, tasted better, and was manna to our lungs. You may have, and in the future probably will, hear us talk about air quality in our posts. It may not mean much to you, unless you've been to Beijing. People talk about the air here in the same manner that they talk about the general weather back home... It's "that topic" that seems to always end up in conversation.
Anyways, we set off and climbed up to the wall and go on. For the next 4 hours, we enjoyed peace, great conversation, breathtaking scenery, and (for me anyway), personal moments of reflection and thanks.... I'll also add that this happened to be my 36th birthday. So, spending it at a place like the Great Wall, with a friend such as Eli, and having great weather, was a true blessing....
A frequent thought that I had revolved around questions... "How did they do this?" Also, "Was this really needed?" The wall is so massive and built in such desolate country, that I marvel at the expense of labor, material, planning, and actual exectution of such a huge project. I know that it was not all built at once, but it did end up creating quite a long fense by the time that it was all said and done...
The actual hiking, I might add, is a true workout. This part of the wall is not your typical touristy area. Mutianyu and Badaling are the parts of the wall to go to for that. I am sure that Simitai has been fixed up plenty in some spots. But, there are many that seem untouched by efforts to make the wall more "user friendly" as we now say. Add the steep slopes that cameras do not do justice to, and you get a good burn by the end of the trip. This forces you to stop, catch your breath, collect your thoughts, and behold the landscape that you are part of...
As I looked out, I couldn't help but notice the modernization that is creeping in. On either side of the wall, I could see a big highway that is being built. There are also bridges in the process of being made, and dammed up rivers. In the same view, I saw a local farmer following his herd of sheep as they foraged through the low mountains for food. He's walking on a path that may have been the same path his ancestors walked on hundreds of years ago... What does he think of all of this? What does he think of me when I yell "Ni Hau!" from the distance... He stops and looks at me, give a quick wave, and gets back to work...
There's also the terracing. In many of the places, the farmers have tried to carve out a life by terracing and creating farmland. The sweat equity invested over the years is mind boggling! These folks really have to work to scrape by...
Eli is the type of person who really loves adventures such as these. A person with broad horizons like him (and a friend to boot), always adds to experiences such as these. We had a great time and will talk about this in the future when we are partaking in different endeavors...
Tonight, after school, I embark on yet another of such. Xian to see the Terra Cotta Warriors...
I'll close and get ready for school. Last night, we had Thanksgiving dinner with some new dear friends the Merritts. Matt has quickly become a great friend who has been awesome to be around. We had a nice night, great food, and good fellowship. Of all the things to be thankful in life, I believe that the love of family and friends is at the top of my list. So, to all of you family and freinds who have toiled through my ramblings here, I thank God for the blessing of you in my life. And my family's life as well....
Love you all!
Riley and Fam...