Sleeping on the Great Wall
While researching our China trip we came across a very appealing tour of the Great Wall of China - the Sleep on the Wall tour from a Běijīng-based travel agency. We were keen to avoid the crowds of Bādálǐng, and it sounded like an adventure that would be approachable for Owen and Liam. The tour itinerary included an extensive walk for about 10km of the wall; this sounded too far for Liam, so we planned that Maree and Liam would take the bus instead.
We were picked up from our hostel in Běijīng - a small adventure in itself, with our tour minibus somehow managing to squeeze along the narrow Hútòng to our hostel. We collected our other tour companion (Madeleine from Canada) and then headed to the Ming Tombs. It was great to be with a guide so that we could understand some of the history as we visited the enormous Ming Tomb area.
We had an excellent lunch, including a full serve of Běijīng kǎoyā (Peking duck) and our first introduction to an authentic Sìchuān version of Gōngbào jīdīng. Most of us then slept on the minibus during the drive to Jīnshānlǐng. The traffic on the country highways was particularly hair-raising to watch; we were very relieved that our driver seemed to be remarkably less aggressive than everyone else on the road. Naturally we had some breath-taking moments overtaking trucks, but the oncoming vehicles didn't have to brake hard or drive onto the verge to avoid us!
After a short walk on the Wall we had a charming dinner that was served by some families in the hamlet of Jīnshānlǐng. Owen & Liam played an exhausting game of chasey in the street area, which gives an idea of how quiet it was. Finally we all headed up to one of the watchtowers by torchlight, and then eventually tucked ourselves up under sleeping bags. The locals and travel agency apparently have three watchtowers that they are permitted to use in this way.
With sunrise being very early (about 4am) we all got up around 6am, and then began our walk around 6:30. Liam had looked particularly fit and robust in his brief wall walks on the first day, so we all set off with our guide for the walk to Simǎtái.
And Liam was fantastic - he generally set the pace from the front, and kept in good spirits throughout. Owen was carrying a backpack and also did a great job. But of course the most impressive thing was the Great Wall itself - the mountains themselves were rugged, and it was just amazing to see the wall folded all along it. At Liam's speed we finished the walk in just over 3 hours, so we plenty of time for a relaxed brunch before another thrill-seeking drive back to Běijīng.
We ended our tour with a visit to the Olympic village and stadiums; and a pleasant visit to a teahouse. A huge couple of days - and hard to top.
We were picked up from our hostel in Běijīng - a small adventure in itself, with our tour minibus somehow managing to squeeze along the narrow Hútòng to our hostel. We collected our other tour companion (Madeleine from Canada) and then headed to the Ming Tombs. It was great to be with a guide so that we could understand some of the history as we visited the enormous Ming Tomb area.
We had an excellent lunch, including a full serve of Běijīng kǎoyā (Peking duck) and our first introduction to an authentic Sìchuān version of Gōngbào jīdīng. Most of us then slept on the minibus during the drive to Jīnshānlǐng. The traffic on the country highways was particularly hair-raising to watch; we were very relieved that our driver seemed to be remarkably less aggressive than everyone else on the road. Naturally we had some breath-taking moments overtaking trucks, but the oncoming vehicles didn't have to brake hard or drive onto the verge to avoid us!
After a short walk on the Wall we had a charming dinner that was served by some families in the hamlet of Jīnshānlǐng. Owen & Liam played an exhausting game of chasey in the street area, which gives an idea of how quiet it was. Finally we all headed up to one of the watchtowers by torchlight, and then eventually tucked ourselves up under sleeping bags. The locals and travel agency apparently have three watchtowers that they are permitted to use in this way.
With sunrise being very early (about 4am) we all got up around 6am, and then began our walk around 6:30. Liam had looked particularly fit and robust in his brief wall walks on the first day, so we all set off with our guide for the walk to Simǎtái.
And Liam was fantastic - he generally set the pace from the front, and kept in good spirits throughout. Owen was carrying a backpack and also did a great job. But of course the most impressive thing was the Great Wall itself - the mountains themselves were rugged, and it was just amazing to see the wall folded all along it. At Liam's speed we finished the walk in just over 3 hours, so we plenty of time for a relaxed brunch before another thrill-seeking drive back to Běijīng.
We ended our tour with a visit to the Olympic village and stadiums; and a pleasant visit to a teahouse. A huge couple of days - and hard to top.
Comments
Mike (iris's dad)