After our first night of trying to sleep on a speaker, we asked to move rooms to a quieter spot, unknowingly they were going to be shoveling sand and bricks outside our room at midnight. When we woke the next day we noticed a lovely new wall in the lobby. So that's what they were doing!
We saw The Forbidden City. We've been to Tian'an Men Square. With all the history behind the two, it was a very interesting experience. Just a massive place with a lot of space. The room where all the concubines were kept was pretty fascinating. Your rank as a concubine depended on how well you were treated, the amount of food you were given and other luxuries. I think after awhile, they must've been pretty bored. Girls from 7 to 13 were chosen as they were called "The Ladies In Waiting".
Now onto the lovely wall...we went on a "Secret" tour of The Great Wall, which was neat because there was absolutely no one else there but the ten of us on the tour and our guide that spoke no English. We didn't even get his name so we just called him "Bob". Of course, I woke up feeling kind of faint in the morning. (must have been that delicious veggie wrap we ate) I just chucked and went to the bathroom and felt much better. Until we got on the bus ride of our lives. I swear, we all thought we were going to die. But our bus driver managed to bob and weave his way through the bustling streets of Beijing and got us there all in one piece. Well....some of us...As soon as we got off the bus, we immediately began hiking up an abrupt incline. Courtney is not used to this type of excercise nor was she feeling up to par. She began falling back while the others went ahead. But "Bob" stayed around to help her out as she spewed out of every orifice known to man on the way up and down the wall. I literally thought I was going to die on that wall. But I must say it was worth it. It had to be the most exhilirating and intense experience of our lives. Hiking up steep hills through bush and shrubbery until you reach one part of the wall, then climbing unstable rocks to get to another until you reach the top to get a breath taking view, I'd say it was well worth every ounce of pain. Too bad we forgot our cameras. Just kidding. I can now say that I left pieces of me on The Great Wall of China. haha
On the way back, we both were on the verge of splerge. It took twice as long and to top it off we almost broke down. But we made it safe and sound. After that, we slept for the rest of the evening.
So now both Mel and I are sick. She has the hurls and I have the swirls. More like a faucet, though. Is that too much for you to bear? Oh I'm sorry. Try getting sick every other freakin' day, then that might be a little too much for you. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR We hate China. The place has it's beauty and good food if you don't get sick the next day, but the people SUCK! I mean, we are just ready to lie on a beach for a month and no one is bumping into us, coughing on us, spitting next to us, yelling in our ear...sorry it's the bowel movements that are doing all the talking.
Tomorrow, depending on how we feel, we hope to go see a Beijing Opera.
Oh, whomever is posting those cruel and absurd comments to my sister please stop or I'm going to have to cut you off from making any comments at all.
