Direct from the Great Wall!

I am sitting in the bus, having stood on the Great Wall of China! Damn! That is one awe-inspiring entity. Even given the hype. We are at Ju Yong Pass in some very rugged mountains about an hour outside Beijing. The Wall extends very steeply on both sides of the highway -- VERY steeply -- with stairs built centuries ago without concern for aging knees and hips. I climbed just far enough to know I was standing on the actual Great Wall, stood and rubber necked for a few minutes, then climbed cautiously back down. It's cold but clear and not too windy -- the guide said the usual winds would blow right through us. But as it is, the banners are floating over the crowds climbing heroicly toward the local summit, where they give you an official certificate of heroism.

I came away with a hat and gloves I bought from a street vendor on the way in. I believe I said "no" to the first three prices he offered before buying. Someone else got him down two more decreases as we walked along, but the he hat says "Great Wall" and kept my head warm -- seems like a bargain to me.

People are returning to the bus now, showing off their purchases, much more interested in acquisitions than in Chinese history. A million people spent 30 years linking small segments into the Great Wall stretching 5000 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean to the Gobi Desert in the 15th century. The guide calls it a great accomplishment by the Emperor, the third of the Ming dynasty, who probably didn't lay a single stone. I am having a lot of trouble with that.