The Great Wall

It goes on...and on...and on...and on...

There isn't be a lot of text here...but there are a lot of pictures!  The Great Wall is named correctly.  It is simply great.  What a fabulous experience to walk along it.  Amazing - in a way it reminds me of Milford Sound in New Zealand, because it's just majestic.  

We end up hiking along the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall.  I'm a little concerned because we get there in the late morning/early afternoon, and I thought it might be crowded.  Luckily, it's the first Monday of the summer that the big tourist draws in Beijing were open (Forbidden City, etc), so that may help, because there are very few people on the Wall while we're there.  Plus it's a relatively clear day, so we get some nice shots.  Very lucky!

Not sweaty yet!

I bet there's a Starbucks around the corner.

Never fear about China invading the US, because we've already invaded the Great Wall!  Burger King & Subway both have franchises at the entrance of site, not to mention the five other restaurants/cafes located there.  However, this is your last chance for a bathroom - there are none on the Wall itself. Who designed this thing, anyway?

Really - you can turn all the way around and look at us!  It won't tip over!

Part of the fun of this section of the Wall is you can ride a "chairlift" up to the Wall instead of having to hike up the mountain (you can do that, too).   Then you can take it back down or go down on a "toboggan."  Guess how we got down? 


Being at the Wall encourages lots of photos and selfies.  You definitely want a record of the fact that you're here.  Plus Steve wants to try out our new camera!

This is me...and this is the Wall.

The girls continue their practice of photobombing our selfies...

This might have been in our Christmas card.  Maybe we'll still use it!

...but I manage to sneak one in!

I am the only human here.

All the nooks and windows make for cute frames!  Actually, the windows are our favorite part of the Wall.  There's a tunnel effect with the breeze, so that's where we stand to cool off for a few minutes.

Cute guy!

Cute window.

 The girls have fun with different poses at the Wall...and inspire Steve to try something new!

Jumping for joy!

Jumping, hoping not to get hurt!

We manage to get one group picture in, with our guide, Sharon, in the background. 

Great friends!

Another scenic shot!

...and on...and on...and on...

Another selfie, too!

I feel very lonely - there's no one photobombing my selfie!

And a family portrait!

Great family!

This is very steep, even if it doesn't look like it!

Yes, parts of the Wall are very steep, though if you stick close to the watchtowers around the chairlift, it's not too bad (though you can get a good workout in if you want).

We have some water with us, but there are a couple of snack bars at the Wall (at least during tourist season) if you need a cold drink to refresh you.


















You probably guessed right - we took the toboggan down!  This reminds me of Raccoon Mountain in Chattanooga.  Unfortunately, there are some very, very slow women in front of us - they constantly use the brake on their sleds.  It probably saves Steve from getting hurt, though!  The track is set up with lots of curves and you can potentially go very fast.

a very small section of our track

Steve, about to launch his sled!

A minor kerfuffle after our time on the Wall - we can't find our guide!  We're at our meeting place, but she forgot and thought we were going to be at a different location...just a short delay in the rest of day.  However, it's worrisome thinking about trying to find a couple of taxis for the 90 minute drive to the hotel.

Luckily, we're able to forget all about it!  One of the nice parts about having a driver - you can stop and pick up refreshing drinks for the drive back to Beijing!

Cheers!

For those of you concerned, don't worry - the girls are drinking water!