Today we enjoyed a later start than usual. Our eventful day began when we left our hotel at 8:30 and headed straight for the Xi Fan Di market in Beijing. According to Carl, our tour guide, it is the largest market in Asia.

The Xi Fan Di Produce Market expanded for miles upon end. One section of the market showcased vegetables that were packaged and ready for sale to grocery outlets who would come in and purchase the produce. There were also cartons upon cartons of blue-colored, speckled, and colored eggs piled next to one another in a row (quail, duck, chicken eggs & others). The market was well organized and overlooked by our guide that was the manager of the market. Products were lined up by similarity and wrapped around the seller’s lines of trucks to showcase every different possible fresh vegetable grown in China and other parts of the world. With the help of Carl’s translation, we were able to get an inside look of what the manager does on a day-to-day basis. His day actually starts in the middle of the night when all of the shipments come into the market from ports and around China, ready to be sold at sunrise.

Loading the bus again, we headed to a different section of the market just a few minutes away. Here they sold fresh fruit that was grown locally, but also imported from other countries. The orange juice group was able to collect a collage of pictures, as did the poultry group. We learned that China does not keep any live chickens at the market; just frozen meat. This is due to the disease scares that have threatened their food security and safety. Freezers had packages of berries, oranges, cherries, and other fruits to keep cool in the hot outdoor temperature. The large cherries and some of the oranges were directly imported from the United States. It was interesting and such an educational experience to see what Chinese consumers imported from other countries and, specifically, the United States.

Piling on the bus for a short nap and drive to a restaurant for lunch, we made a stop at a museum & factory that produced handcrafted art out of a stone called jade. The tour inside showcased the steps from production all the way to finished product of the stone including men who were carving special items out of the jade. Their saleroom had stones of every size and color. Many of the girls bought jewelry and others bought one of their most famous and meaningful items: a family ball. The ball was a round stone cut out with smaller and smaller balls inside of the largest one. Everyone enjoyed the Chinese cuisine and shopping at the jade factory, and we thanked the staff for the food.

The most anticipated and exciting experience thus far was climbing the Great Wall of China. We had no idea, though, what the wall was really going to be like. Starting from the very bottom at the Juyongguan entrance, we climbed almost 1,800 stairs to the top most point. The uneven stairs and long hike presented a problem for some. The view, however, was well worth it. Lots of “selfies” were taken as well as pictures on one of the ledges of the Great Wall.  Jenna had a troublesome fall, but recovered shortly after receiving care and bags of ice.  The trek down proved to be much easier (#strongquads), but was still two hours for the round trip hike. Resting on the bus, we drove back to the hotel to freshen up before our last visit at a traditional Chinese supermarket and Beijing farewell dinner with Carl.

Departing from the hotel on foot, we walked to a market much like a typical Wal-Mart or Meijer back at home in the US. We all bought a drink for our meal and browsed the store for other snacks and drinks as well. They had a lot of foods from home including Dove chocolate, Budweiser beer, and Gatorade.

The saddest part of our trip yet came as we gathered around a table at the local Hot Pot restaurant to say our goodbyes to Carl. Food was served raw and we boiled it in two separate brews that were both spicy and plain. The foods consisted of a variety of meats, veggies, and other odd end foods. Emily and Morgan tried the cow’s stomach and Katie ate the squid. It was all a learning experience getting to try the new food! We ended the dinner by giving a gift to Carl and walked back to our hotel to finish up last minute packing before our departure in the morning.

For photos, over to Flickr!