pic: Dottie Al at Great Wall

[Al Skierkiewicz]

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[JohnBoucher]

FANTASTIC.

Now that's a nice trip.

[Cynette]

Was it as amazing as we've heard it is?

What a cool place to stand for a photo! It just goes up and up and up!

[Rosiebotboss]

Tell me you "Segwayed" on the Great Wall!!

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Very cool place! So little of this section of the wall is flat, we actually climbed to a tower that is just out of view behind the second tower. I estimate we went over 1000 ft. vertical and 1 mile horizontal before time and altitude got to us. The sections between the towers that are in view is almost exclusively stairs. We also had a great day, visibility about 5 miles with haze and blue sky. This picture is just one side of a mountain valley that the wall traverses. It is located about 1 hour north of Beijing. You can check out www.smartours.com for the China and Yangtze River Cruise to see the itinerary and places we visited. Men with beards are unknown in China so many local people took my picture throughout the trip including many who asked if I would take a picture with their children.

[Rich Wong]

I am SO jealous!!!


I hope to do the same trip next year...

[Mark McLeod]

I'd love to do a trip like that. I'm also so envious.

Carry your bags sir?

[Kyle Love]

I am always envious of your WAI pictures, Al. They always seem to be from a foreign land. Where will the next one be from?

[Carlee10]

That's a great picture, visually. It's such a perfect shot. It looks like you guys had fun. Was the rest of the scenery just as pretty in other areas?

[dtengineering]

Great Wall? Great Wall? Always the hyperbole! I mean, sure... it's an extremely good wall. Perhaps even an excellent wall. But, I mean... look at it... it's not even straight! Sheesh... how great is that?

Would love to get there and see it some time. Fabulous photo (a great photo!) and good to see you're enjoying some holiday time before "robot season" hits.

Jason

[JaneYoung]

The cool thing is that Dottie and Al set traveling together and having wonderful adventures exploring our world - as is a priority in their marriage and in their lives.

My boss traveled to China this summer on a business trip and came back with many photos. He called a staff meeting and shared his trip, his photos, and his perspectives with us. That meeting helped me understand what was in the news at the time and also have a better understanding of what to expect with the then upcoming Olympics.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Well, you know all those great places you see in the National Geographic? Those are the scenes we wanted to see before we leave this earth and this trip hit many of them. Traversed the Three Groges Dam and the Three Gorges plus a few side ones. Hard to imagine that what remains to see of the gorges still has more than 100 meters that isn't visible anymore. At times the gorge closed down to just a few hundred feet wide. Saw roads disappear into the water and bridges half covered by the river, tops of trees and the ever present signs proclaiming the river level above sea level. All signs of the rising of the water behind the dam. Base of the dam is at 41 Meters and the the signs are covered up to the 172 meter mark. You know the terra cota soldiers well there are thousands of them, no two alike, that are part of a 35 square mile tomb complex. What's more, they are signed by the artist and only 66 signatures have been recorded to date. Then there is the Li River valley with it's limestsone spires. And lot's of friendly, kind and polite people everywhere.

[Jay TenBrink]

Al,

Was this photo taken in Badaling or Mutanyu? I got to see both during my 8 weeks in China in 2007 and 2008 and throughly enjoyed them.

Being tall and blonde (well, I used to be more blonde) I was also a rare sight and was approached by kids who wanted to have their picture taken with me.

Travel can certainly make one's life richer. I have been fortunate to travel to some very interesting places with my job as an engineer (the artic circle, death valley, Europe, South Africa, and now China).

I hope no prospective engineers think that engineers have to stay in the office all day. I'm sure some do stay home, but most I know do get to see the counrty and the world if they choose.

See you in Atlanta,

Jay

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Jay,
This was at Badaling but luckily we were there out of tourist season so it wasn't very crowded. Even though it was November, it was above 50 and clear skies.