Sight Seeing Day 1 - The Great Wall

We started our first day in Beijing bright and early.  Our guide Peter and his driver picked us up and drove us to the Great Wall, which took about 2 hours from our hotel.  It was a perfect day to be at the Great Wall.  It was not busy and there was a slight breeze.  In order to get to the Great Wall, you must take a cable car up to the top of the mountain.  We walked the entire section that was open (about a mile).  The last stretch was brutal.  There were 426 steep steps at the very last section.  However, Dave and I both made it to the very top.  The Great Wall is so impressive, but the scenery around the wall is also breathtaking.  

the beginning - clearly not a sweaty mess yet

Some stones are missing, so climbing to the top of the towers was a bit of a challenge.

the last steep section

We made it!

On a side note - Dave wore his Purdue shirt was approached by two different tourists at the Great Wall who either attended Purdue or knew someone who did.  It never fails.  Our tour guide asked if Dave knew them before and we said no, but this happens everywhere we go when Dave wears a Purdue shirt.

After the Great Wall, we went to a nice little restaurant.  Dave enjoyed a Chinese beer.

On the way home from lunch we stopped to see Olympic Park.

We finished the day with dinner by the hotel and we walked around in the shopping area.  There is a 'high-end' mall very close to our hotel, which a tourist hot-spot.  They have an Apple store, a Gap, Cartier, Rolex, and Forever 21.  We were in bed by 7:45 though.  We're still not quite adjusted to the time yet.