Beijing Sideways - one of the most amazing trips to the Great Wall by motorcycle with side cars and then hiking away from tourists!
We were picked up right at the Hilton hotel by our tour guide Ricardo, an Italian chef, with motorcycles with side cars. It was a crazy and fun ride through Beijing out to the highway, weaving through traffic, overtaking on the emergy lane and seeing the real Chinese life.
I think the pictures tell it all. First stop was at a castle, Chateau Laffitte, that is a big hotel and golf resort.
Another stop was at a beautiful place in the mountains, the Fua Hua temples with old pagodas.
Next we arrived in a small village, Zhunagdaokou, next to the Great Wall, where there were absolutely no tourists. We had some cold drinks in a local "pub" before starting our hike (about 2 hrs and quite steep at times).
Up on a hill top we stopped for a delicious picnic. The weather was good but a bit hazy. Despite that, we had breathtaking views of the wall snaking over hills and mountains to the far horizon. Visibility was better than what could be caught with the camera.
We descended to a different village, where our motorcycle drivers were waiting for us.
I shot a few video clips from the crazy ride, driving at night with no lights on the high way or blatantly running red lights!

On the way back, we stopped at the Olympic Center to see the "Birds Nest" beautifully lit up.
We came back quite late and Janine and treated ourselves with a foot massage. It is dirt cheap: a 1 hour massage cost ¥38 (a bit more than $6).