Great Wall

What a historical experience!  My friend Rod Hanson did a marathon and the Great Wall was part of the course which I so admire because it is the symbol of China and I have Chinese daughters and I have never been there.  Each time I have come here I have been on the Southern part of the country.  Did you know that you can see the Great Wall when you are walking on the moon!  Yes, it is true.  There are five main areas to visit when you go to the Great Wall and we did the second one closest to Beijing.  90% of tourists go to the closest one…but we just felt like we are more locals than tourists.  Well actually Casey is ready for a hamburger and some good beer.

Stories about the Wall….

We met a family who will be residing in China for a whole year and the mom is interested in taking her two kids 8 & 11 to Kaifeng and volunteer there.  Her husband speaks Chinese and will be employed here.  They are from California – how incredible would that be…one day after we set up our school some one volunteers to go there!

We saw people from all of these countries…USA, India, Venezuela, France, Germany, England, Scotland, Scandinavians, Asian countries (Japan, Korea), and I am sure there were more.

We also met a group from…Iran!  The guy was talking in Farsi at the very apex of this climb and I look at him and said hello to  him in Farsi and he couldn’t believe another Persian was on top of the Great Wall with him.  His name was Darius – like my brother – keeper of goodness.  He lives near the Caspian Sea where I vacationed when I was a boy.  His English was fantastic too.  I really felt so emotional as I was coming near the top of this Chinese monument and knowing that I had climbed a great wall in helping to achieve our goal of education for Chinese orphans.  I felt this total clarity about the next portion of my life.  I have cried a few times on this trip.