Day 4

Day 4

This was the day that most of us had been looking forward to, The Great Wall. It exceeded our expectations. It was staggering to see its vastness and imagine how people could possibly have built that 500 years ago, and even 2000 years ago when some sections were built. We could certainly imagine why it is often called "The World's Longest Cemetary". Many Chinese died during the construction of the Wall.

Most of the players climbed the wall to its highest point in Bandaling, a small village where we visited the wall. Some of us older folks didn't quite make it that far, but it was still quite a physical achievement. When you consider that the Wall is in the mountains, we were basically climbing a mountain as we climbed the Wall. Before we got there, I didn't realize that the Wall had stairs, which made climbing easier and harder at the same time. We all thought it was worth it though, because the views were breathtaking from the top.

Tonight, we ride an overnight train to Shanghai. The trip will last over 13 hours.

-Matt