3/15 The Great Wall and jade factory.

Today, we went to The Great Wall. We were able to see some of the Beijing country side. 

For the first part we were on an interstate that went past a few orchards and farm land. Everything was dry and brown as spring has not quite came to Beijing yet. 

We drove through a couple villages. Most of the houses were the same common wealth gray.  There were bundles of wood on top of the tile roofs. We asked why. Rock told us that the wind blows a lot and it keeps the tile on. But mostly, it adds shade to their courtyards so they can grow vegetables. 

We did see a few older buildings with fresher blue/ gray paint. 

As we got closer to the base of the mountains there were quite a few camping areas for Beijing families to go on the weekend. 

The road to the Great Wall zigzags up the mountain. There are quite a few small buildings along the way. 

We decided to go to the part of the wall were we could toboggan down. This was mostly for Questen. 

The Great Wall of China looks like a long ribbon. It curves and twists it way along the magestic mountains. 

Its 2000 years old 13,170 miles long. It was built by laborers who hauled large stone as long as I am on their backs! I can't imagine! The terrain is tuff and steep. Theses aren't rolly Polly hills. 

This was a window in one of the gaurd towers. You can't see it clearly but the wall winds clear up on top of that peak in the distance. It was jaw dropping! 

Many many men lost their lives in the making of the Great Wall. Their bodies were laid within the wall. It is the worlds largest grave yard. 

I told Shane I wish I could touch it and see what the wall has seen. 

If these walls could talk... 

Walking the Great Wall is no easy task! My friend Heather, went to the Great Wall last week and said her but was on fi-rah! 

I kept thinking about that as we walked. and she was so right! 

Ouch! It was a touchie worker! I will never hear Katie Perry's "my hearts on fire" again without thinking of the Great Wall. Ha! 

The toboggan ride down was very fun and easy. I think Questen's biggest complaint was that the people in front of him weren't going fast enough so he had to slow down. No collisions on the Great Wall. 

Our guide said it was his first time to Come to this part of the wall. I think he was a bit nervous for the Toboggem ride. I asked him if he like it and he said from now on he would bring all tourists here. 

On the ride back to Beijing, our guide told us a few interesting stories about his child hood. 

As a child there wasn't a lot of food in China. So they would eat cicada bugs to get protein. One winter they survived off of pickles. That was all they had. Pickles. 

His parents had been farmers their whole life's. In fact, the land had been passed down for generations. As a child the gathered wheat all by hand and it was hard work.

 Last year, the government came in and took his parents farm land. Just because.

Rock already has one boy and is getting another child in June. He said that he is paying the government to keep his second child. 

We leave Beijing today. We will take a bullet train to Henan. It goes 200 mph and will get us to our Chu quickly! 

One more sleep Chu! 

Please pray for his little heart as this will be very hard for him. And that we will know how to handle what ever comes our way.