One more memory from China...

Sam and I are home from our China travels...well, I should say that I'm home. A couple days after getting back, Sam had to head off to Batan, Indonesia. Oh well, that's life as we know it these days! It was a great trip...full of lots of memorable moments.

The highlight was our hike up to and on the Great Wall. Once again, we traveled with Cycle China and would highly recommend this group if you're into seeing the sights in an up close and personal way.

We drove 3 hours out of Beijing to reach the starting point of our hike, and then hiked another 2 hours up a mountain before reaching the Great Wall. After reaching the mountain top, we hiked 11 kilometers along the 600 year old wall...from an unrestored section-"Jiankou" to a restored section-"Mutianyu." The weather was just perfect for hiking...cool and overcast. Unfortunately, it wasn't the best for taking pictures, and that's why in some of our snapshots you can barely see the wall through the fog. Oh well, trust me. It was magnificent!

Of all the things that really enriched the experience, I would have to say that the group we were hiking with made it most memorable. Actually, it's kind of funny how the wall was originally built to separate people, but today it brings people from around the world together. Our tour group included travelers from Germany, China, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and the United States. We started the journey as strangers and 12 hours later were exchanging addresses in hopes of crossing paths again. I have some thoughts on how these friendships form...but that's a blog for another time! For now, I'm just glad to be home and heading for home. I leave for California 1 week from today. Ask me if I'm excited!!!