Day one, Part one.

Okay. So, Our first full day in Beijing what else would we do but go to The Great Wall of China? Well a few things, actually - shop, a lot, and see the Ming Tombs. But first we had a sweet "Western Breakfast" at our hotel. They actually had half and half. I could have cried from the joy. I miss good ol' American drip coffee and cream more than I ever thought I could. Our tour loaded the bus at 7:40 am, sharp, and headed off towards our first stop, the Ming Tombs. To my surprise we the bus made a detour. I hadn't realized that a tour of the "Jade City" was our official first stop. We spent about an hour total at a jade factory and learned about the qualities of jade. The purest jade actually begins white and turns to green as it is worn. The body heat and the circulation of the wearer cause this to happen - that's why pendants are typically worn long enough to hang over the heart and bracelets are always worn on the left hand. I resisted temptation and didn't spend all of my savings in the discounted store, but indulged and bought a cross I am very proud of. Some people went nuts though. There we were, having not even SEEN any of China yet and people were dropping major sums of money on souvenirs and knick-knacks. I couldn't believe it. After too much shopping some slightly irritated travelers got back on the bus and rode to the Ming tombs.

Now first off, I couldn't find a landmark brochure to save my life, so I had to go old school and actually follow to tour guide. As David told us, the tombs of the Ming dynasty are located about 50 km north of Beijing at the foot of the Jundu Mountains. There are only two tombs open to the public and we visited the larger one (belonging to Chang Ling). The spot was chosen based on its natural feng shui - the mountains to the north keep out evil spirits and the arrangement of the valley did something to capture good fortune, guaranteeing a good afterlife or reign and whatnot for the emperor buried there. In both Chinese and Korean cultures (and I'm sure many more) one's burial place is incredibly important, and would be moved if after your death your family hit hard times in hopes of placating your likely unrested spirit. I have to be honest, we really breezed through the tombs because we were only able to stay there about 40 minutes, and being the first thing we did on the trip, I wasn't totally aware of everything I was seeing because I was still so overwhelmed! It's sort of awful to say and I bet it's going to kill my karma or something. but I feel like the Ming Tombs were a warm up for the whole tour of Beijing. They were spectacular none the less.

After the Tombs we stopped for lunch and low and behold MORE shopping. This time around it was at a copper factory and we were able to see some Chinese copper vases being carved and painted. Plus they had cheap gelato and it was starting to get hot. We had another delicious meal and were treated to complimentary Chinese soju. Now for those of you reading this from Korea, you should know that the Chinese definitely one up us on this one. While Korean soju has some kick (and isn't my favorite drink..) it does go down smoother than some "western" liquors, Chinese soju is 56% alcohol and definitely earns its nick name of "fire water." I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to try some (when in Rome...) but I chickened out and had only 1/2 a serving (about a 1/4 shot), but it still got the job done. My sinuses cleared, I was forced to give a bit of a cough, and I was pleased because it all meant I was actually able to taste our lunch that day. (I got a cold they day before we left. Andrea can attest, it made me pretty grumpy...) We finished up lunch, Mullen and I splurged and topped it off with the forementioned gelato (a trend most of our bus followed, and we'd like to officially take credit) and set out for another 40 minutes to Juyong Pass... also known as one of the oldest parts of the Great Wall of China.... !

You'll have to stay tuned for stories from the wall though because this post is already really long, and I want to do the experience justice. But following are a few pictures to tide you over, go nuts.