Cloisonne, Great Wall, Birds Nest

So our first stop was a Cloisonne Factory. This is where they make the vases I assume you all know about? Here are some pictures of the woman working.








Then to the Great Wall. Wow, it is really cool. We took the trolley to the top and this tolley puts ski resorts to shame, we went up high and we went up fast! Then we "entered" the Great Wall. There are many Chinese tourists there. I was surprised how many made very bad shoe choices (high heals, really high heals and even higher heals). It is really hard work to climb the wall. The steps are very difficult as there is no "structure" to them. Some steps I could take 3 at a time, others I could only do one. The wall is very steep so you quickly loose your breath. There are these very very narrow walk ways to actually get on the wall and only 1 person can fit each way. Well, many people try to cram in at a time and for a while they actually had a security guard "directing traffic" People have no concern for personal space and I was truly being carried by the mob. I could not move in my own free will. What was really fun is that I was a least a head taller than anyone there so crammed in the middle of this "line" I must have appeared to have been a floating head. As I was on the wall one man stopped and stared at me, pointed me out to a friend and said "Holy Cow" in his heavy Chinese accent. I expected this since I get comments about my height in W. Michigan, so in China I am really a giant.

Then we drove by the Birds Nest. We can't go in it so we stopped at a parking lot near by and took some pictures. It is so impressive!