The Great Wall

Wednesday June 30
Today we went to The Great Wall of China. Originally built as defense against the northern, nomadic raiders, the Wall has become one of China’s greatest tourist attractions. Young and old, Chinese and foreign tourists, everyone wants to say, “I climbed the wall,” and then buy the T-shirt. The steps can be very steep and we all took many breaks on our way to the top. We carried water bottles and bought even more water once we reached the top. Still, one man climbing in our area became sick to his stomach on the way up and other members of our group witnessed another tourist who was convulsing as she became overheated from the exertion.
Though it was tiring to reach the top, it’s impossible to forget that those that built the wall carried those stones and bricks up the steep mountains sides before the steps existed, and many lost their lives during the process. The views were amazing. The photos from this hazy day won’t due the views justice.