Visitors!

At the end of May, five friends from college came to visit. It was so fun to be with them and experience China together, from arguing with the crazy van driver (who kept at least 2 wheels on the ground most of the time) to eating hot pot to hanging out with Chinese friends to climbing the Great Wall. Skype doesn't compare to being together in person, and it was so refreshing to be with friends that I have known since before moving here. I put up some pictures, but there are more here - check them out sometime!

riding out to the countryside...the driver took us to the wrong place and then tried to charge us extrawe stopped halfway up the mountain at this dam to take a little breakEven though the water was freezing, we swam in this little pool of water that comes from a stream flowing down the mountain

slurping our noodles for a late lunch after swimmingon the way down, we saw this farmer replanting riceTerracotta Warriorsplaying human chessWe borrowed bikes from friends, and friends of friends to use to ride around the cityriding to the center of the city, including two roundabouts!on the city wallpracting the Chinese squat...from a young age, this is a common resting/sitting positionlooking at silk shirts at a friend's friend's shop

A lot of older men wear these sunglasses here, and I got a couple pairs for my brothers...we're trying them out!the plastic bubbles - very tiring!

a crowded Chinese bus
hanging out on the sweet high speed train to BeijingAt the Olympic site in Beijing. You can see the Water Cube and the Bird's Nest in the background.
the ornately painted ceilings at Summer Palace

Temple of Heaven
It was a great day to climb the Great Wall, and as you can see, there were quite a few other people who thought so too