We came to Beijing to see The Great Wall. The Mutianyu section which is less crowded, is about a 2-hour drive from the city centre, passing orchards and farmland with greenhouses are far as the eye can see. I guess it helps in feeding the 22 million people of Beijing. That’s a lot of mouths to feed, and you have to wonder if they can keep up with the demand.
Okay, back to The Great Wall…I hate using this word, but it’s appropriate in describing this hand-built structure that has stood so many centuries…it’s truly one of the wonders of the world. Awesome, utterly breathtaking and definitely one of those places you must experience at least once in your life. So this is my girl and my boy, laughing and laughing…laughing at me as they watched me go up first. That’s me in that tiny little cable car off in the distance…(I said the cable car, not the pickup truck)…breathing deeply and trying not to scream. It never occurred to me that The Great Wall would be so high up, it never occurred to me that it would span mountains and it never occurred to me that I would have to ride way up in a cable car.
Littlest one: “Mommy, don’t look down cause we’re really high up!” giggle giggle giggle.
“Nice…don’t expect homemade cinnamon buns from me anytime soon.”
There aren’t any photos of me because I chickened out at Tower 14. I couldn’t go down those steep stairs, with NO hand rails, over-looking the mountains. I just couldn’t do it. Everyone else kept going while I hung around Tower 14, taking photos of tourists with their cameras.
Guards use to sleep in one of these little rooms in the Tower, and there are sleepover tours on the Great Wall… bedding is provided along with a communal bucket as a toilet…they cook dinner in a wok, all under the stars. If I was a tiny bit younger, I would find this slightly appealing.
Exit to the friendly side of the wall. Be CAREFUL kids!
They climbed up and down those crumbly stairs to the top of the Tower. Be still my heart.
“I love Justin Bieber, Never Say Never…”
A perfect day, much warmer than expected at 18 degrees celsius. I don’t think the kids will ever forget this day.
It’s beautiful and magical, even if you only get as far as Tower 14.
joe biafore - Jill tells it like it is! And i hate the word too. But it is awesome! I have some great pictures of my sweet brave jill. You did great miss chen! I will get you up to the top of the Eiffel tower yet. You can do it… just one step at a time.
Yen - Absolutely enjoying your beautiful pics of this breathtaking place!
France Simard - Ooh, aah… c’est magnifique! Thanks for sharing, I would never forget such wonder either. I’m really enjoying Freestyle Farm : )