Today started bright and early at 3:00am when I woke up…then fell back asleep…then woke up again. After getting over the jet lag (for the most part) I was business as usual, shower, get dressed, get ready, and head down to breakfast. My first breakfast in China was exciting interesting yet delicious and included rice, noodles, and any fruit that I could not identify. After Breakfast it was off to the Great Wall.

We met Joe, our tour guide, just before departing. He is very knowledgeable and turned what would have been an “eeh” bus ride into a learning experience about our new environment. The bus trip was where I noticed the first unique discrepancy between the U.S. and China…traffic. In China, there is little noticeable road rage and rather than get mad at each other, drivers use their horns to communicate with one another. They move cohesively despite not adhering to the road lines as strictly as US drivers do. This can make crossing the street in China very interesting but speaks volumes to how the average Chinese driver thinks. Contrary to the US drivers here tend to think more about the bigger picture rather than how they could get to where they are going faster. They made decisions based on what would cause less traffic and be better for all rather than themselves. This has opened my eyes to alternative ways societies act around the world and the benefits these actions carry.

At the Great Wall, we got to explore one of the most beautiful 7 wonders of the world. We got the opportunity to explore what were once soldiers quarters and signaling towers! Though the hike was a bit more than I’m used to the climb was definitely worth the right to say “I climbed the Great Wall.” The trip back down was quicker, but no less interesting, as we rode an alpine slide back to the bottom of the base where we started. Some of us got lured into the shops that filled the sides of the path back to the bus while the rest of us eagerly went back to the bus in anticipation of what would be a delicious homestyle lunch. After lunch, it was off to the Summer palace.

The Summer Palace was an intricate home built for royalty that overlooked a beautiful lake. We learned that the palace is home to the longest corridor in the world which houses over 200 different hand-painted landscapes. Some of us climbed yet another hill to find an astonishing view! We had the opportunity to walk through a Buddhist temple, that sat at the hill’s peak, and all the intricate artwork therein. We got to see the marble boat that lay at the end of the corridor. After our exploration of the palace, we went to a hot pot restaurant (my first experience with hot pot) where we feasted on lamb and beef. Today made it fell as though we’ve been here for several days and grew my anticipation for 2 fun filled weeks to come!