As we entered day three, we knew it was about to get serious. Day 1 Wass Beijing, day 2 was our intro to the wall, and day 3 was the real deal: 16 kilometers, 6 hours, 12 people, and 1 incredibly flavorsome satchel of crackers each.
We began by crisscrossing through corn fields as we wound our way up the steep path leading to the Great Wall. Our trek today began on a less restored (read: barely there) section of the wall that is nearly 500 years old. The off-road hiking was tough, with steep inclines and slippery rocks courtesy of a rain storm the day before.
The gang took it in stride, with Vicki continuing her trend of looking perfect regardless of the intensity of our trek, the temperature, or the humidity levels. Stef and Geraldine stayed close together while Julia, Amy, Tracy, and Libby fleshed out the core portion of the group. Both Hayley and Sam (who somehow managed to misplace her boots in a bout of bijou-induced frolicking the night before) trekked right up with our local guide. Pictures were bountiful though it seemed the intensity of the walk combined with misty weather did encourage a touch more focus on the steps ahead.
While everyone did a fantastic job and stuck together, a special shout out goes to Amy who, with the help of several fellow trekkers conquered her fear of heights and kicked some serious great wall booty today. Her nickname is Barbie and we came up with our own rendition of Barbie Girl in her honor:
I'm a Barbie Girl, in a China World
Conquer the Great Wall, Know That I Won't Fall!
A final shout out goes to Nick (doing his J'amaie from Summer Heights High impression here) who entertained us for hours on the bus with his brilliant iPod-assisted versions of Defying Gravity and Grease Lighting. You sir, are a legend. We are all geared up for tomorrow!
GO TEAM!
--
Kyle Taylor
Location:352 Provincial Rd,Chengde,China
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