This looks too steep for me, so this is where I stopped, but Stan pressed on. I was afraid I would not be able to climb back down!





















I met this lovely Chinese student, who was very friendly and spoke beautiful English. She told me that everyone is required to learn English because it's the "most important" language in the world. Her name was Zhao Yan, but she called herself Anna. Everyone I met in China wanted to use a western name instead of their Chinese one. That kind of makes me sad . . . I gave her my card & told her that her picture would soon be on my blog, but I really don't know if she would be able to have access. Much of the Internet is blocked in China . . . to "protect" the citizens from the outside world, perhaps? If you look to your left on my blog & see the Feedjit Recent Visitors Map, you will see little red dots where my blog is read all over the world - but there are NEVER any on China!

Is that Stan up there in red?

This was an unusually clear day near Beijing today. Maybe the air is a little cleaner out here.

I think I took this zoomed shot of the top hoping that one of the red shirts was Stan. Oh, well. He did make it all the way to the top, though.


















Wow -- what a view! Stan got his picture made & has a certificate showing that he made it. Congratulations, Stan!

I think this one may be my favorite . . .





















It was very crowded today & if you stopped, you got run over! (some Chinese are not quite as polite & considerate as Japanese.)

Stan's view from the top.





















Pat & Bev made it!

Closeup of the 2008 Summer Olympics logo up high on a hill.


















Stan's going up this steep stairway toward the top. Notice this old man coming down & how worn down the steps are. I had some great closeups of the stones, but I guess they got eaten by the "dreaded blue screen of death" when my HD crashed.
















I'm taking this one of him coming down (in red). Wish I could have gone all the way up with him!

Imposing fort-like wall
















Stan was taking these of me (stuck to the wall for dear life!) as he started back down. This is far as I got because it just got too steep for my knees to make it back down! Maybe some day I'll come back when I have new knees . . . NOT!

Some of the street shops near the entrance to the Great Wall















This big shop is where we could potty. As big as this tourist attraction is, there was really no public restroom -- & this one was pretty bad.
















Typical Chinese toilet. There was 1 "sit-down" potty, but the seat looked like a child-size & was just "balanced" on top of the raised stool. Gee, wonder why I didn't get a picture . . . It was pretty primitive, but at least I didn't have to squat down to the floor & then attempt to get back up! Although there is a toilet paper holder, we never found any TP anywhere in Beijing except for our hotel.

The Badaling Great Wall gate as we leave.
















Back on the bus with Gill as we drive back toward the city. We were told that the average annual salary in Beijing is about 3500 yuan, which is about $580 US per year. If I remember correctly, 100 yuan is worth about $13 US. "People are quite happy with this & can live just fine." However, later we were told that it takes pretty much all your salary to pay for an apartment & utilities.

Our other Chinese guide, Phoebe (self-named from "Friends" TV show) told us that many young couples in China prefer to live "DINK" -- which means "Double Income No Kid" although the one-child only rule has eased a little in recent years. Now, if you are an only child AND you marry an only child -- ta-da! you can have TWO children . . . I have to wonder if this influences exactly who you marry? AND has it slowed down any of the disposal of baby girls that we used to hear so much about . . .

Our guides were amazed to hear that we had 4 children & 5 grandchildren! Like parents, most grandparents only have one . . .

Last looks of the great wall as it goes over the mountains. I was surprised at how desolate this part of China is. It reminded me a lot of Arizona. Of course, just over those mountains is Mongolia, which is very much a desert. The Great Wall, as we all know, was built to keep out the "Mongolian Hoards" (according to Stan) but it's not doing a great job keeping out the desert . . .

Cloisonne Factory & Shop

Oh, wow! Our next stop is a tour of a cloisonne factory & shop, where we will also have lunch. Sue I thought of you the whole time I was here . . .
















This man is giving us an overview of the process & showing us some of the finished product. I didn't even know the underneath part of cloisonne was copper!
















Read all about it here . . .

These people are gluing on the VERY tiny copper strips that have been formed into the design & traced onto the copper piece. How would you like to do this all day?

Look at all the paint colors! I can't believe they allowed us to freely walk around & take pictures where these young people were painting the tiny areas within the copper designs! There was a steady stream of groups in front & behind us, so I can't imagine how annoying the constant flashbulbs must be! We wondered where the little children workers were . . . hidden in another room not available to the public, perhaps?

This poor guy works behind a glass wall. I'm sure it's kinda like working in hell with the open firepit. He's firing large copper vases (all by hand!) that have already been decorated & then painted to become cloisonne when fired. I don't think his fan helps too much. I guess every piece is finished this way . . .? I know I never appreciated what went behind this amazing art form.

Some of the beautiful cloisonne objects for sale here. Yes, I bought a few small things, so don't be surprised . . . I know I will never look at this type of art the same way I used to!
















After our tour, we walk through the store (it was difficult not to stop!) & go upstairs to have our lunch. Lorri, Pam & Jake busy eating & drinking. After lunch, we will be allowed to shop.

John watches as John Robert parties at another meal . . . the small bottles were something that tasted like kerosene -- kind of like home brew -- Yikes!















Jerry & Terry Kampai! (or whatever you say in Chinese that means "cheers") This home brew stuff is served in VERY small glasses & it literally takes your breath away!
















This interesting picture was under the stairway leading upstairs to our restaurant where we had lunch in the cloisonne factory & store.

This shop was huge!















There was a man hand-painting names to go inside these glass globes.
















OK -- hear no evil, see no evil & speak no evil, but what's the other one about?

Chinese lantern
















Nearly lifesize cloisonne horse. Wish you could see the detail on this!
















This is the price tag. I forgot how to convert this amount, but's a LOT of yuan!

This sign is an ad for "China's Silicon Valley Villas."
















We saw several of these chairs just sitting along the freeway as we passed in our bus. Notice the little new trees that have been planted to make Beijing look better for next summer. I was very surprised at what a "desert" Beijing is.















Now, to see the second half of our Beijing trip, you have to go to April 2007 Archives -they're at the top.