The Great Wall 1

[tazzles]

After 12 hours not sleeping in the "sleeper train" from Dalian to Beijing, we arrived at 6am. 40 minute coach ride to our hotel, check-in, dump luggage, shower, eat breakfast (no coffee, damn), back on the coaches at 8.30 heading for the Great Wall of China at Badaling.

It's about 40 Km north-west of Beijing. After a nice journey through pretty countryside we stop where there are already 30+ coaches parked. Our guide explains "You need to be back here by noon, or we leave without you" - that gives us a bit over 2.5 hours.

So let's go already. First the 2 km to the upper staging area from the lower carpark:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/01-Dec-2003/23169-beijing005-web.jpg

When we get there, will we go to the left:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/01-Dec-2003/23169-beijing008-web.jpg

or to the right, where the crowds are:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/01-Dec-2003/23169-beijing009-web.jpg

We can think about it while we memorize where to buy the "I climbed the great wall" t-shirts:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/01-Dec-2003/23169-beijing010-web.jpg

(I should mention as an aside that Judy (in keeping with her goddess-like status - holding thorny devils in the palm of her hand) later found the one and only t-shirt that said "I ascended the great wall".

The rest of us "climbed" :)

From here:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/01-Dec-2003/23169-beijing011-web.jpg