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So my first trip to the Badaling section of the Great Wall (3 years ago this month) didn't go as well as planned. I fell down the wall, broke my camera, etc.I will pause while you laugh and picture this happening.
I am much better prepared this time - and a little more experienced of a traveler.So I didn't have the right shoes or jacket to go to the Great Wall - definitely not a planned trip when I was packing my suitcase.(I know mom always told me to be prepared, but I don't think you often need to be prepared to go to the Great Wall).I went back to the "Silk Market" because I actually have jackets and shoes at home, I just didn't bring them. So it's not like I wanted high quality, long lasting products, I just wanted something that I could use. The market is the only place I know where they try to charge you more than a non-counterfeit original would cost you, but somehow (if you are good) can manage to get it down to a little less than 10% of the original.So for example, the shoe lady's starting price was 1200 RMB (about $160 USD) for the shoes I wanted.Of course they keep telling you about the awesome quality, new styles, etc.I tend to start at about 5% of their original (give or take).I offered her 50 RMB (about $7 USD).She laughed, said I wasn't fair, I laughed said she wasn't fair for charging me more than they would charge me for the original in the real store… blah blah blah."Special price for you" - I always get the special price, then the really special price, then the "because you are my friend price", sometimes the "closing time price"… it varies.Let's just say the shoes cost me $105 RMB (about $14 USD).A little less than 10%... not bad.Let's just say that I have some special methods that I have developed over time.
Ok, so back to my bus ride.Generally, you can get cheap prices to the Great Wall - all sections are at least 1 hour outside of Beijing.
If you go to Badaling, you are going to get more of a tour than free time on your own, more of the crowds, and some vendors at the top of the wall to sell you souvenirs (there is even a Starbucks).That was good for my first trip.My second trip though… I wanted to be adventurous and enjoy it, so I am going to the Mutianyu section.I have read that the climb is more challenging, but well worth it.Not that I can complain either way.I don't know too many people who have to make a decision "Hmmm, what section of the Great Wall should I hike this weekend?".I know how lucky I am.J z
A little web background on this section of the wall:
Mutianyu section of Great Wall is located in Huairou district, 70 km from downtown Beijing. It was first built in Northern Qi (550-577). In Ming Dynasty, General Xu Da constructed the Great Wall on its former base. The Mutianyu Pass was built in 1404. The fortifications and the Great Wall here are featured by many watchtowers on overlapping mountain ranges. The wall, built with slabs of stone, is crenellated on both sides with bricks. The wall provides better protection and ward off attacks with Juyongguan in the west and Gubeikou in the east.
The weather today is AWESOME - about 60 degree (F), so the jacket I got is going to be perfect.Not too cold, not too warm.It's sunny and so clear that you can see the moon already out.The first impression I had when we got close was "wow, I still have cell phone coverage".JThe second impression was when I saw the parking lot.The tour buses were all 12-15 seater vans, not the Greyhound buses that you would find in Badaling.On the bus, there was your general group of people. I somehow managed to meet Will, who was from DC - knew the area I grew up, the school I went to… it's just such a small world!
Ok, another difference.In Badaling, you can either hike to the top or take the cable car to the top.Either way, you get to the highest point possible when you reached the peak.Here, it was awesome.The cable car took us halfway (I would guess about the same distance as Badaling - about 1400 steps).Once we got off the cable car, we had a choice.We could either hike down the wall to where we started, or we could hike to the peak and take the cable car back down. (I say peak, but I mean "the highest part you can go to before the wall is unpassable"). I was soooo excited about going up!!! Only 2 other people from my bus did - Will and his co-worker.They were awesome to hike with - about the same speed, stopping points, etc.And it was nice to have people to take pictures.
I LOVED THIS SECTION of the wall.So peaceful and serene.It was so difficult not to stop and take a million pictures on the way up the wall, but I knew if I was going to make it to the top (which I desperately wanted to) I would have to wait and take my pictures on the way down.We passed so few people that a lot of our pictures look as if we were alone on the wall!The first couple sections weren't so bad, but I saw the stairs and knew what was coming.With the angle (is steepness a word?) and altitude against us, we drank water, took a lot of mini-breaks, and somehow managed to make it to the top only 40 minutes from our starting point - a time which sincerely surprised all of us!When we finally made it to the top climbed those last steps up there, I was surprised that there were less than 10 people up there!The 3 of us, a guard (there are security cameras everywhere!), a couple, and that was it for a little while until 6 more people caught up with us.Such an amazing sight, I wanted to stay up there and just soak it all in.Sadly, after about 10-15 minutes, we had to descend so that we would have time to take pictures on the way back.Looking back down the stairs, the hikes from Hawaii and Badaling came to my memory.Sometimes it is harder to go down a mountain than up one.Before we reached the end of the "massive staircase", my legs were already shaking, which sent me into fits of laughter (maybe the altitude was really getting to me?).We made it down, took some amazing pictures and then had to endure the super-aggressive stalls at the bottom of the cable car.They would grab you; stand in your way, anything to get you to buy something.Part of you does not want to be forced into buying something, but part of you remembers the houses you saw on the way in and wants to give them all the money you have in your wallet because they need it more than you…. But when there are 25 stalls in a row like this, what do you do?
The ride back included a nice discussion of what exactly the 7 wonders of the world are (or were), and thanks to fantastic cell service, my Blackberry was able to provide a pop quiz on the ride back.The ride back also included a nice napJ
Now that this is all done, it is time to pack for Shanghai!Maybe I will have enough time for a run tomorrow morning!
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