There are no words to express how … great … The Great Wall is.

We’re staying at a place called The Commune, where guests have access to an unrestored, relatively unvisited portion of The Wall. All alone we scrambled over broken stone, through bushes, and across decayed paths, marveling at the breathtaking scope of The Wall as it snaked across beautiful mountains and towered over tiny villages.

Here are some of the snippets of conversation from our party.

In the cab, on our way to the Wall:

Rose: You guys, we just drove under The Great Wall.

Lindsay: Who does that?

After a small but rigorous hike, when we first saw the wall:

Rose: Whoa!

Jack: Wow!

Rose: Whoa!

Jack: Wow!

On a steep section that looks impassable (but is quite passable):

Deirdre: Well, pucker me bum!

Looking out at The Wall, stretching across the mountainous horizon:

Michael: Hey, what’s that wall? Is this a gated community?

Jack: Yeah, it’s China.

After seeing that Julyne had just called:

Deirdre: Hey, Julyne just called.

Michael: Julyne, don’t you just loooove that wall?

Rose: Do you love it a little bit, or a lot?

Speaking to Michael about the great height of The Wall and the lack of walls in some parts:

Lindsay: If I fell off The Wall right now, I’d die the happiest I’ve ever been.