Walk along the Great Wall

Depending on which access point on the wall (some are easier and more touristy than others), you may come across this booth that makes metal plaques. It’s a little tourist souvenir, where a skinny chinese guy sits at a work bench and solders your name unto a metal plaque that says, “I’ve climbed X kilometers on the Great Wall”. It’s cheesy, but since you are already there…...:) Also, buying a knock-off green communist hat with a red star pin is highly recommended. When do you get to do THAT again?!

yeah

Just got back yesterday from a week in Beijing – what a fantastic, vibrant city. On our third day there we went out to see the Great Wall at Mutianyu. We were lucky to have beautiful, clear weather (the next day it poured with rain!) and great views out over the surrounding countryside. Mutianyu wasn’t too crowded on the day we visited and it did not disappoint at all. Hoping to get some photos up on Flickr soon.

has finally come around – we fly out tomorrow for a week in Beijing. We’re planning to go out the Great Wall on Monday. I can’t wait!!!

the visa for China on Thursday, got tickets, accomodation booked – now just have to wait until May!

for China just arrived in the post!!! The main thing left to do is sort out the visa, which apparently can take awhile.

to be resurrecting this goal and hope it will be completed in May – B and I traded in our frequent flier miles last week for a trip to Beijing!!!

China has had a long and illustrious history of huge public works projects, and it’s rather amazing to think of how this was planned and carried out so long ago.

The day I went, it was very, very cold; sunny and dry; and so windy that there was very little snow - it had all been blown away. I wore the thick, pile-lined pants I bought in Korea, and my boots, and a down coat, and my anorak over that, with a warm hat and the anorak hood up over that. And a scarf and heavy gloves. I have a photo somewhere - maybe I’ll look for it and scan it in.

I walked all over the restored section, and then went a bit beyond that, to where it hadn’t been restored, and it was crumbled brick. I did that for a while too, but it was much harder going.

I can remember so many details of the day—waking up in the dark; the long walk in dirty snow to the train station at the north end of the city; seeing sections wall through the train window; the little tourist shop where the bus let us out; the wall itself, running so steeply up and down the hillsides.

I’m not giving up on this one but I am retiring it from the list for now.

I heard the only two man made things that is visible from space is the Great Wall of China and the New York City Dump. I’ve seen the New York city dump up close, and it’s not really something I desireto see again. LOL. So I want to walk this feat of human engineering to make up for that.