This morning’s beautiful blue skies set the stage for our Great Wall hike. Check (more) below or see a previous post called “news burst!” for pictures.

We were only supposed to be at the wall for about 90 minutes, but our trip was delayed when Felipe Calderon, president of Mexico, decided he wanted a VIP trip. The entire wall was cleared off, and hundreds of tourists were left waiting for almost an hour for a chance to climb.

After a long wait and a hard fight, we made it to the wall. The breathtaking views of the serpentine wall winding through the green mountains were well-worth the long, steep climb. I could only stand in awe. Like my Grandpa wrote in his journal, “It was truly a moving experience.”

There were three recent additions, however, I don’t believe my grandparents saw when they were here: a Starbucks, the “One World, One Dream” Olympics sign (which every single person took, like, 54 pictures of), and the kiddie-train ride down the mountain. Taking the train down seemed easier, but I opted to walk.