Hello this is Chada Groom Baggarly calling for Around the World Team 1999. The date today is October 16, 1999. Calling from Zhangjiakou, China.

Today started out with a long cold night once we got our hands on the vehicles last night around 9pm. We worked on the vehicles until after 2am. We actually got a few hours of sleep in before we were up at dawn for breakfast. We finished breakfast, and the CIST escorted us to the Beijing DMV where we got our drivers' licenses. The CIST has connections with the Beijing DMV and allowed us to get our drivers' licenses that day.

Getting our drivers' licenses was quite an event. Once we filled out all of our paperwork and showed our passports and US Drivers' license, the DMV marched us off to the nurses' office for an exam. The physical exam consisted of an eye chart test, color blindness, and our height and weight information. I'm glad to say everyone passed the color blindness test. It was a little iffy for Todd, as we all now know that Todd is slightly color blind (yikes). Luckily there was enough of a language barrier that we could kind of squeak him through.

We left the nurses' office and our drivers' licenses were ready. CIST presented us with our drivers licenses in a nice ceremony that we video taped. The ceremony was not unlike a high school or college graduation ceremony. You wait for your name to be called, walk up to the presenter, take the certificate or diploma in one hand and shake the hand of the presenter with the other. All the while smiling to the left so your friends and family can get the pictures and video they want of you. That was a lot of fun.

Next we had to say good-bye to Ping our Beijing guide who was starting to feel like part of the team. It was kind of a sad departure. We said goodbye to Jeng and Mr. Go from CIST. On a happier note, we got to say hello to Mr. Lee who is our new guide from now until we hit Tibet.

Our next stop was the Great Wall of China. We had an escort to the Great Wall. We must have looked very important. We had the Chinese flags, one on each fender of the vehicles, plus an escort with blinking lights. It was pretty cool. The Great Wall in Bada Ling was quite a show. We started out eating at the KFC that wasn't all that authentic, but it was fun just the same.

The Great Wall is just awesome. We took a gondola lift to the Wall and hiked down into town. It was quite a hike. We have some great pictures. The Chinese call the Great Wall "The 10,000 Lee Wall." It stretches from Shaing-hai Guan Pass on the East coast to the Xia Jung Guang pass in the Gobi desert. It is massive. You can tell where the Great Wall has been put together by different countries and tribes. Each country and tribe would build their own wall to keep out their enemies. Eventually all the walls were connected.

We left Bada Ling. We headed for the city of Zhangjiakou, where we are now. It was 3-hour drive from the Great Wall which was great news because we were exhausted. We are in Zhangjiakou. We are staying at the Zhangjiakou hotel that has allowed us to see a different side of China that we had not seen yet. A word of advice for fellow travelers: if you have a choice between sleeping in your car or sleeping in a room at the Zhangjiakou hotel, take the car. On that note, I am going to say goodbye and 'hit the sack'. I wish all of you well and until tomorrow, good night.