Beijing, China Day 3

Day 3 was our favorite! It wasn't as packed and we got to see the Great Wall! On our way there, they took us to the jade shop to watch them create a bunch of trinkets, jewelry, and masterpieces out of jade. They get the stone out of the mountains where the Great Wall resides.

Andy always wanted to be a jade soldier instead of a pilot. A Giant Jade Ship!!

Taking the tram up the side of the mountain to hike the Great Wall. We did all of our hiking when we got up to the top.

We still had a steep hike to get to the highest point at over 7,000 ft.

The highest point. A little history here: The Great Wall was built between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the borders of the Chinese Empire of attacks from other dynasties. It is over 5, 500 ft long!! The land surrounding it is a cemetary to nearly 3 million Chinese that built it due to the danger involved. Only one man has successfully completed the entire hike. The very determined Chinese man took 3 years to reach his goal and lives to tell about it!

What would be a day in China be without pictures and videos of Tyler???

It's not everyday you get your picture with a Buddhist monk! We were trying to take a candid picture of him, but he askedto take a picture with us because we were American. I like how he is holding Andy's hand :)

There was still a bunch of Olympic paraphernalia you could buy. This guy will make you your very own Olympic medal for climbing the Great Wall... ...so Andy got one! Way to make the Americans proud hun!

Another view of the highest point and one of the steepest.

Being at the Wall was such a surreal experience. You always see pictures of it and learn about it in History class, but to actually be there, climbing it's steps was so incredible! It truely is a masterpiece in its expanse and grandeur.

Our restaurant before the circus show.

Ty will miss China :)

Introducing himself to the fish. They kept going up to him looking for food...sorry guys, all you're going to get is drool! He will also miss our driver and our driver will miss him! He was so wonderful. Anytime we stopped somewhere he came right up to us and asked to hold him. He is a grandpa and you sure could tell. Anytime anyone else would take him and Tyler would cry he took him right back to console him. He even did it to me once! haha. He gave him toys to play with and cleaned his pacifier if it fell. Too bad he doesn't live in Korea; we'd have a babysitter lined up :)

At the Circus show after dinner...the acrobats were so talented!

Dad and Ty loving the show...Tyler sat like this almost the whole hour watching in amazement.

How many Chinese women does it take to ride a bike? I don't know...I lost count!