Mutianyu Great Wall, Huairou District, Beijing, China

After a traditional Chinese breakfast, the owners of the farmhouse arranged transportation to the Mutianyu entrance to the Wall.  This was not easy with 12 of us Minnesotans!  We all managed to squeeze into 2 vehicles and made it to the entrance at a great time in the morning.  The crowds were light and we enjoyed the beautifully restored section of the wall with minimal crowds.  It was wonderful to experience the Great Wall when it wasn’t 100 degrees and humid.

This amazing group of people came together in a few short days and we had fun experiencing the Great Wall of China together.  The girls loved showing their new friends some of the places they had already seen.  St. Paul Public Schools was well represented in China with Alex, Bobbi Jo, and me.  The boys had a lively experience with a preying mantis.
Our trip down from the Wall led us through some touristy areas selling souvenirs.  Luckily the kids were more distracted with the bubbles than the souvenirs.  But Ivy insisted on a panda hat that our new friend Eli helped bargain for a good price.
All 12 of us planned to walk from the Wall back to our farmhouse, but we had a fun surprise when a man we had met the night before stopped and picked us up.  We all piled in to the back of his truck and had a crazy ride back.
The afternoon was beautiful with blue skies and warm weather, amazing in October!  We explored the small village near the farmhouse and the kids played at the workout parks.  Then we had some fun hanging out on the deck of the farmhouse, playing games near the yurt, and having a few drinks.  We were picked up and taken back to Beijing the next morning.

It was such an great time spent with friends from Minnesota.  We learned a lot about their experiences and feel grateful to have friends from home here in China.