There is a saying that one is not a true Chinese until he or she has seen the Great Wall of China. Well, it's not a good idea for foreigners to miss it either. So when our friends Tian and Hong invited us to go to the Great Wall with them, we didn't hesitate, especially since they took us to a part of the Great Wall that I had never been to before.Tian drove us to the site, but unfortunately when we got there the access point was closed for the holiday. I thought (like any sane person would) that we would just turn around and come back another day. Tian had other ideas. He was sure we could get to the Great Wall following a little dirt path that led up the mountain.
Well, quite a few twists and turns later--and visions of twisted ankles and broken necks on my part--we reached the wall. To be honest, it wasn't all that impressive. Everything looks rather bleak this time of year, especially in such a dry climate, and the Great Wall was no exception. I was too tired by the time we actually reached the wall to hike any further, but Benjamin went on a little ways and took more pictures. When he came back, he told me, "Well, now I've seen the Great Wall, and I've been on the Great Wall, and...I've peed off the Great Wall." And a few minutes later, "That's not going on the blog, by the way." Sure, honey.
