Our Trip to China (Part II) - The Great Wall!

When Cicely and I woke up on the second day of our tour, we were happy to see that the smog had cleared up a little - that, added to the fact that we had to drive an hour outside the city, made for great views up in the mountains! The trip to the Great Wall of China was definitely the highlight of our entire trip, and probably the most impressive thing we've seen since we moved to the Far East.


I did some research before booking this trip with regards to the Wall specifically. The Wall is divided into many sections that are both on the border of China (with Mongolia) and also at various spots in the interior of China (like this particular section). Every tour I looked at took would've taken us to the Badaling section of the Wall. That was the section that President Nixon visited during his historic visit to Communist China in the 70's; it's also the closest to Beijing, so it's consequently the touristy spot of the Wall. Our tour was the only one I could find that did NOT take us to that section of the Wall - instead, we visited the Mutianyu Section, which is a bit farther and harder to get to, but well worth the hassle, as there are virtually no tourists there. At 500 years old, this section is actually one of the newest of the entire Wall.



We took this shot riding the cable car to the Wall; the Mutianyu Section runs along the spine of a mountain range, so the views and natural curvature of the Wall on the mountain ridge make great pictures!














Taking a rest...




Here we are with our guide, Martin - actually, he had a Chinese name, but he decided to use a western name because most of his clients are from Britain or the U.S., so it's easier for them to remember.



This is the tallest stairway in the Mutianyu section - it leads to the end that is overgrown with vegetation and falling apart.



I won't say who, but one of us got tired from the climbing and made the other carry her purse...it's a good thing that didn't happen on Mt Fuji last year!