China Update

Adrianne and I decided one trip to the wall wasn't enough. So we went back to the Great Wall at Simatai. Simatai is about 3 hrs away from where we are staying and it is a lot less touristy. The climb is also more challenging- but was a welcomed workout.

We had a local guide us on the wall, and we bought a couple t-shirts from her at the end- one because our clothes were drenched in sweat, and two because we were her only chance to make any money the whole day. We finished the climb and returned to the valley in just under 3 hrs. As we were coming down the clouds started to roll in, and no sooner did we get in the car- did it start to down pour. It was a huge thunder storm- and just 2 days ago a girl had been struck by lightening and killed on this section of the wall. After a four hour trip home, nearly getting stuck in a mud puddle, and a couple detours- we made it back a little tired and passed out early.

Tuesday we had the opportunity to go with Adrianne's mother to a meeting with one of their suppliers (the reason for their trip to China). It was great to sit and hear both sides interact. Not much was lost in translation, but the language differences provided an interesting meeting. Once the discussions were over we took a factory tour. It was raining, and the workers were on lunch break- so we didn't see much. I was able to photograph the toured areas though. The group we meet with took us out to dinner at another one of the famous duck restaurants. The food just kept coming out. I sampled duck tongue, liver, and stomach. Just can't get enough of it. Glad for the opportunity to try new things.