Trip to Dandong

So this last weekend I had the chance to go to Dandong with CET. Dandong is on the eastern edge of China surrounded by the Yellow Sea and North Korea. While we were there we stayed on an island named Daludao Island (which when literally translated means large deer island). Getting to and off the island threw a couple wrenches in our itinerary because the wind was too strong to get to the island the first day so we had to wait a few hours. Then the next day when we wanted to get off the island we had to wait most of the day because the wind was again too strong. The free time on the island was fun though. This island is apparently considered one of China's paradises and the writing a bus on the island said it was "China's Hawaii." Now I haven't been to Hawaii to compare at all, but this island was definitely beautiful and peaceful. My roommate and I during our first free time went and rented a tandom bicycle for an hour and had a great time filled with lots of laughter as, me being in the front, I attempted to keep from killing us both. After this excursion we went out with two other classmates and rode in sand buggy, which was rented by the circle, and then we rented an awesome four person bicycle. The four person bicycle was an absolute hoot and we successfully managed to get every person that passed us to stare at the two Americans and two Chinese people. I think they thought we were a bit crazy as we laughed the whole way down the street.
After getting off the island we headed to Dandong and had the night free to get dinner, etc. My roommate and I ate dinner with a large group and I enjoyed my first Korean food at a table where you sat on the floor. After dinner we all walked down to the river and we got our first look at North Korea. My first look was pretty interesting. Standing on the riverside you look across and see...a black abyss. Compared to the lit Dandong with building, street, and even bridge lights. North Korea really did look like nothingness. The most interesting part was how the colorful bridge lights ended at the North Korean half of the bridge.
The next day we made our way to the eastern most half of the Great Wall of China. I was incredibly excited and who wouldn't be excited to climb a wall that was built thousands of years ago. Unfortunately, I wish I had been warned ahead of time that along with climbing the Great Wall comes scaling a mountain! I should have been smart enough to put together that this being "Tiger Mountain Great Wall" it was not going to be any easy day hike. The beginning of this Great Wall is pretty deceiving too. It starts out as a nice sloped incline and then all of a sudden you come to a mountain wall that has stairs, and I think to myself "oh, those stairs aren't too long, this won't be too bad at all" not knowing that I can't really see all of the stairs because they immeadietly turn left and I find myself scaling steps that are abnormally deep and go on for what seems forever. As soon as you come to a landing you look up and see a ton more of steep steps. After a climb that was harder than expected I got to the top and it was well worth the climb. We were able to see North Korea from the top. (A little random thing about North Korea: in Chinese they do not refer to Korea as north and south. South Korea is simply Korea and North Korea is called Chao Xian. ) So after a nice view from the top we make our way back, but we don't go the way we came. We go the other way that eventually lead around the mountain itself and not actually on the wall. It was quite the surprise to first be walking down incredibly steep steps, that made someone without a fear of heights a little nervous, and then to find myself hiking a mountain on a dirt/rock trail that was bordered by mountain cliff on your left and a green fence on your right. The green fence was quite helpful when we found ourselves practically rock climbing. :) All in all it was a great experience and quite the workout all at the same time.
After the Great Wall we got an up close and personal look at North Korea by boat on the river that divides the two countries. Then after lunch we headed back to Harbin. The train ride back was pretty fun because I was succesfully able to learn how to play new card games in Chinese, granted the practice rounds and the showing with the cards helped alot.

I have officially been here for a little more than a month and I am now in my fifth week of classes. It's pretty wild to think that in a couple weeks my midterms will be here and then soon after that my finals. Time is beginning to go a lot faster here as I have gotten into a routine with school. Now I'm at that point where there are so many things I want to do and see around the city that I don't know if I'll actually get to see them all, but I still do have a lot of time here. Anyways, that's all for this update. I love and miss you all.

Nicole