The Great Wall!

Well, I rolled out of bed at 2:45am…boy, you don’t say that everyday! Tried to go back to sleep, but it was a no-go. So I just got up and “did stuff”. By 6:30am I had done everything I could think of including reading the book on hotel services and restaurants! You’ll notice I said I. Kevin, on the other hand was having very little trouble sleeping. After emerging from his slumber, we had the best breakfast ever, and made plans to go see the Great Wall of China! (Yet another sentence you don’t say everyday!)
Turns out there are 3 different entrance points to the Great Wall when you are in Beijing…all are at least an hour away. We went to the “middle” one, an hour and 15 min. away, called Bandaling. We took a cab from the hotel and drove through Beijing, staring out the windows, like kids, at everything passing by. Beijing is a really BIG city! The downtown area has HUGE, TALL buildings and apartment complexes, but when you get into the smaller communities here, it has the same feel as a cross between Tijuana, and a beach community, with many people walking or on bikes.(photo below)
The Great Wall was amazing, and much steeper to walk than I would have thought…and we weren’t even on the really steep part! I just kept saying, “Oh my gosh Kevin, we are standing on the Great Wall of China!” We were surprised by the incredible number of people who also were walking the wall, (99.9% Chinese) and also by the number of (very assertive) vendors, I guess you would call them who try to sell you things…even on the actual wall itself. Kevin referred to it as “walking the gauntlet” on some parts. The steps are small half-steps, which I did not appreciate the wisdom of, until my way back down. Aaahhh. That’s why. You bet I was holding onto that railing on the way down! Then as we are heading up, this man says, “You get in picture, yes? O.K?” “Uh, O.K.” and so Kevin and I are in this picture, with I think, his parents, and I’m cracking up, saying, “Kevin, we’re props…we’re American props” THEN I hand the guy our camera so we can have a picture too, which just made me laugh even more. His parents (I’m assuming) just smiled and nodded. (The picture is below) There is also a picture of a Mongolian camel (smirking) that you could sit on and have your picture taken. He was much bigger standing next to him than I would have ever thought, as were his feet! They were huge! He looked like a gigantic stuffed animal! I put my hand on his haunches and his fur went up to my knuckles and was so thick, I literally could not feel his skin underneath…like a sheep’s wool, only softer.
We learned a lot of things today…carry small bills, and keep them separate from your larger bills (in another pocket), and other than a few ones, have Kevin carry the money (I’m an easier vendor target :), do not walk in front of a taxi…they’ll just honk and keep-a-comin’, and lastly, if you try and speak Chinese to say ‘thank you’ or some other phrase, they will be very gracious and try to hide their amusement at your pronunciation, appreciative of your effort. Oh, and people don’t lock up their bikes here. Really! Hundreds of bikes being ridden and parked, not a lock in sight.