Last view of the Great Wall

That’s what this trip has been all about. And I’ve seen some amazing sights. Natural wonders, like the Tiger Leaping Gorge and the karst pinnacles of Yangshuo. I’ve seen man made wonders, like the Great Wall and the Potalla Palace. But I haven’t come any closer to understanding China, or the Chinese. That would require good knowledge of the Chinese language, because most Chinese people don’t speak English. Even in Beijing, the capital, merchants don’t know English numbers. It’s hard to make friends when you can’t talk to them.

I’ve been looking forward to going home since Kunming. After all, that was the end of the heart of my trip: Chengdu to Kunming the long way. Everything else was a bonus, but after two months I was tired of packing and unpacking and being sick all the time. But now that it’s time to go I feel strange, like my work in China is not done. But I have to go home, it’s been so long. And I’m ready to go home. But I know that someday I will return to China.