Getting to the top and stepping on the wall for the first time left me speechless. Everyone knows what the Great Wall looks like, and how can easily look up facts on how long it is and see satellite pictures and so on, but I couldn't truly picture the vastness until I was standing on it, looking in both directions. One thing I never knew, nor really gave any thought to, was that the wall was made on the top of the mountains, the towers sitting on the peaks.
I sat there for a moment trying to imagine all the workers climbing the mountains with bricks and supplies, never mind actually constructing it. They refer to the Great Wall as "the biggest graveyard in the world" because of all the men who died while building it, their bodies left to become a part of the foundation. It was a very overwhelming feeling taking it all in as I stood on a part of history that was older than the recording of time.
The climbed a section that was 10 km long. It started at Jinshanling and ended at Simatai. The total time on the wall was three and a half hours, and then another half hour for lunch nearby. The great thing about it was that we didn't have to stay as a tour group. Shawn and I got ahead of our group, as well as another, and found at times, to be by ourselves, with one exception. At every tower (there were 32 total) were farmers sitting in the shade trying to sell you cold drinks, more because I thought the woman was cute and wanted a picture than anything.
That section of the wall is a combination of both restored and unrestored sections. At first, everything was smooth and paved and I thought the four hours would be a walk in the park, but then we came to the sections that were not restored. Steep steps and loose bricks slowed us down and reminded me more of hiking Fisher Peak. On inclines where it was really worn out, steps on the side were constructed to make it possible to climb.
Though more difficult, I preferred these sections where it reminded me how old the wall really was. Once we got close to the end, the wall was once again restored, which was nice after my tired legs were starting to feel like Jelly and I could food and cold drinks calling my name. We finished the tour taking a zip line back down the hill and a feast of a lunch before hopping on the bus to head back to the city.
For anyone who wants to see the wall and likes a little adventure, I would definitely recommend doing this section of the wall. There are some tours that go to three Beijing tour stops in a day, spending about a half hour on the wall, but I don't think that does it any justice. Being able to hike along the 10 kms of the section really allows you to take it in and reflect on what a monumental piece of history you are standing on.
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