Yes. This Really Happened. Once Upon A Time I Ate A Scorpion.

 We found ourselves having to take a long walk after dinner tonight due to the sheer amounts of food we received.  It was definitely the most interesting food day so far.

Ahhh dinner.

It was super good.  It just looked like a chicken had been smacked down flat with a sledgehammer.  Oh, and it was staring at us.  #whatareyoulookingatchump

 We took the subway to an area in Beijing known for weird types of food.  One of the teachers on this trip is Jerry.  He was looking for a silk worm to eat and video himself doing so for his classes.  He is  a stellar art teacher who will introduce the topic of silk production using the video he collected to capture student interest and of course, gross them out.  Teaching high school is always a show. 

 About 5 seconds after walking through this gate, it became apparent we found what we were looking for.

 Live scorpions on a stick whose legs were moving really really fast.  As far as I could see, the seahorses were already dead.

 On the right is what Jerry was looking for.  The dead silkworms.  They take the entire stick and throw it in a fryer.  It takes less than 5 seconds.  Jerry described it tasting like something fried and a bit gooey in the middle. 

 I had told Jerry I would join him and eat a scorpion.  However, looking at the legs moving that fast, I became scared.   Our friend Tim stepped up and stated he wanted to try it, but only one.  This meant there were others left.  If Tim could do it - I definitely could.   He is from Virginian for crying out loud.  Maine will certainly not be outdone by Virginia.

 Like the silkworm, they fried the scorpions which made me feel a bit better that they would be dead.

 It was super crunchy. 

 And tasted like burnt popcorn for a bit.  Then a very strange aftertaste that wasn't so good.

 Lindsey ate one of the silkworms.  Tough stuff.

 The streets were so crowded it was overwhelming.  I had a sensory overload.  Check this out:

 There were shops and stores all over the place.  It was surprising to see just how much materialism is rampant in this culture.  Every possible brand name has huge stores here.  There is so much stuff.  Tons of tourist shops selling junk that you have to haggle for if you want something.  Crazy.  I was however pleased to have the chance of touring through a silk store.  The fabrics and clothing were bright and beautiful.

 This is for Gavin.  Yes son, McDonalds is here.  It is just as gross as it is in the US.  The menu has a lot more chicken recipes than in the US.  And KFC is here too.  The largest KFC in the world can be found across the street from Tiananmen Square.

 Of course, no area in Beijing is complete without Mao in thought or big 4800 Yuan bust.  That's 800 buckeroos USA. 

 Squid on a stick. 

 These drinks look like they are on fire with the smoke coming off of them.

 Can you identify the weirdness on a stick ready to eat? 

 Tofu in all forms is very very popular here.

 More bugs for sale.

 Candied cherries.  The shell around the fruit tastes like caramelized sugar. 

 Met and eggs in a huge dish.

 Octopus on a stick cooked.

 We then made our way home.  The subway is really clean, the air quality is good,  It is nice and cool.  And well labeled for English speakers which makes traveling clear and easy.

 Walking down to the hotel from the subway I saw this "truck" with the plants.  People carry everything using transportation like this.

A good night in all. I freaked myself out a little bit though and woke up thinking about that scorpion in my stomach.  Why the frig do I do these things?  Because, everything is a contest.  Dammit Virginia.

Where Are The Frigging Handrails Great Wall? I Can't Move

I keep forgetting that we are 12 hours ahead of Maine, so when I say today, I mean yesterday for you guys.  It is 7:40 am July 7th here.  It is 7:40 pm July 6th there.

So your today my yesterday, we trekked the Great Wall.  I was hesitant and nervous as those of you who know me well know my fear of  heights.  My knees lock, palms sweat, and I feel like I want to scream.  Couple this with being in a climate that sees your body produce more sweat than ever seemed possible, it makes for an interesting and exhausting day.

I met my fears on the Great Wall, and gave into them at first, but slowly and surprisingly, came out of it just a little bit.  Progress.

The Great Wall of China, contrary to popular belief, cannot be seen from space, nor is it one massive wall.  The wall you see was actually not the first version built.  The wall plays a central role in the identity of China.  There is a famous quote attributed to Mao Zedong that goes something along the lines of, "If we fail to reach the Wall, we are not men."

Different regimes had been building walls forever thanks to invaders from the north and later, the Mongols, who went on to establish their own dynasty in China, otherwise known as the Yuan Dynasty.

To repel northern invaders, the Chinese built walls out of beaten earth.  Numerous sections of this existed.  The first Emperor of China, Qin Shih Huangdi set out to stop northern invasion by joining older walls from East to West.  Constant invasions led to chaos in Chinese life.  Harmony and order were the goals and still are today in China.  The result was the first wall built, known as The Long Wall attempted to solve this problem of chaos.

Front gate.  This area is being developed fast, which mirrors a lot of places in China today. The welcoming area for this part of the wall was just built.

 You hop on a bus that takes you up to the entrance area.

The wall that exists today was built during the Ming Dynasty (1300s).  They had an aggressive policy towards their northern neighbors.  And for good reason.  One young Ming emperor was sick of the northern invaders coming in and causing chaos.  So he set out to take them down himself.  His Confucian advisers hated the idea due to the strenth of the northern groups.  They tried to warn him.  The Mongols tracked him the whole way and when the time was right, pounced.  The young emperor was found in the middle of a field crying when they took him hostage and demanded ransom.  He was eventually returned and it was decided that the wall was no longer an option.  It was a necessity. 

 When we got off the bus I looked to my right, and low and behold, at the foot of the mountain sat a Subway.  Gross.  Really?  Here? 

We started to hike up. 

Foot of the mountain and entrance. 

These are my people.  They are an incredible group of educators and will all be featured in a post coming soon.  All of them have traveled and are dedicated to global education in a big way.  It is nice to be surrounded with like-minded individuals who think outside of the box.  The future post will explain exactly what they do and where they have gone.  Stay tuned.

The Great Wall is handicap accessible. 

My heart dropped when I saw this.  A chairlift.  To bring us up, up, up.

This is my friend Margy.  She just loves heights too.  NOT.

At one point we were so high I had to actually close my eyes and my hands hurt from the death grip I kept on the bar. 

I made this video for Jenny. 

There were places on the wall that people left names on, not all over, but in certain places set aside for it. 

I left some names myself. . .

Who could forget the best school?  Left our name there too Red Eddies.

The Ming wall measures over 5,500 miles.  3,889 mile sections of actual wall, 223 miles of trenches, and 1,387 miles of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers. 

What was stunning is just how steep some sections were.  Some areas had handrails.  Most did not.

Anyone who has climbed with me before should not be the least surprised by these photos.

Margy draws everything. 

Clara and Yolanda are checking things out.

In areas all over the wall you could see graffiti old school knife carving style.

Some of the wall is really slanted. 

This is my roomie, Amy.  She has more energy than just about anyone on this trip. 

Many children in China are not shy about coming up and testing out their English. 

You can get a beer at one of the guard stations for about 50 Yuan or 8 dollars.  Leah tested it out.  Soda, water and snacks are all available at exorbitant prices.  I cannot begin to possibly convey just how muggy and hot it really was up there.  Add climbing and it made for a very very sweaty adventure. 

Families picnic along the wall. 

This is Harold.  He is a professor of Chinese and Japanese history classes.  He is one of our guides throughout our stay.  His instruction is direct and he makes content understandable for all. 

Some steps aren't so easy to climb. 

Lindsey is making me very nervous here.  This is probably one of my favorite pics of her so far on this trip.  She has an amazing ability to see things from all points of view.  That is an uncommon and fabulous characteristic to find in an individual.  So cool.

So the trip down was a lot easier than the one up.  There is a toboggan slide that lasts for about 5 minutes from top to bottom.  

When it was all said and done, I am glad I climbed the wall even if in some spots it was on my hands and knees whimpering and screaming constantly inside my head.  All is well that ends well.