Monday: Great Wall
After a couple of aspirins and Imodium I felt good enough to get on the bus and we headed north from Beijing towards the GW. It was a beautiful morning and thanks to good planning by April, we were one of the first groups to arrive. The steps up the wall were very steep but we managed a considerable climb.

Kathleen and Mary on the wall.

To climb the wall, Mao said, made you 'a true Chinese hero' and tha's how we all felt.

Next to the 'Friendship Store.' We had lunch in a restaurant (so-so but accompanied with a 120 proof Chinese drink) and then a tour of the cloisonne' factory and gift shop.

Mary bought some items for gifts and I fell asleep outside on a planter. I felt better but still not one hundred percent. And this was a long shopping stop.

We next went to the Sacred Way, a park north of Beijing, where many emperor's tombs are located. We strolled along a section and enjoyed a nice breeze and the scents of the country.

Back to the hotel and a short rest before dinner. Laundry came back so I put on a jacket for dinner in the hotel, and was roundly derided by the men of the group.

Tonight's show was the Peking Opera. I was curious but unenthused. One description of the performance compared it to the sound of a scalded cat.

The performance was held in a small theater and we were seated in a VIP section with cookies and tea on tables. A waiter with a very long-spouted kettle served tea.

The performance consisted of several sections. The first involved a lady in search of a suitor who had left along the river for another town. She pleaded with an old boatman to help her catch up with him who agreed to take her. After he had his lunch, of course. It was actually pretty entertaining with skillful pantomime, although the singing did bring to mind a pained cat.

The end section featured a war scene. In addition to the usual acrobatics and synchronized fighting, the actress leading one faction in the war faced off against two challengers, each of whom would throw spears which she would deflect, using her knees and elbows, tossing them back at her enemies. Then a third challenger, a fourth and finally six, all throwing spears, seemingly at once, and all miraculously being deflected through the air back to the thrower in a stunning performance.

To the hotel and bed.