More Great Wall Pictures

Day 8: The Great Wall

On Monday, April 20 I had two songs running through my head; Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” and Simon & Garfunkle’s “Scarborough Fair”.

Larry and I had our buffet breakfast. At 7:30 we were catching a ride to Badaling, about an hour northeast of Beijing to see The Great Wall. Our tour guide, Magic, was a young man in his 20s, originally from the southern part of China. He moved to Beijing to attend college, and he also works as a tour guide. He speaks several dialects of Chinese in addition to English.

Our driver, Mr. Wu, didn’t say much. But his cell phone rang constantly. His ring tone? “Scarborough Fair”. We didn’t know if he had another business that he was running on the side as he drove us around, was talking to his bookie, or maybe he was just a very popular guy.

Our first stop was the Ming Tombs, which aren’t very far out of Beijing. Magic, well versed in Chinese history, explained the displays and who was buried where. Next stop, a “shopping stop” at a jade workshop and the sales room.

It was very windy and chilly when we arrived at the part of The Great Wall we were going to see. There are several places in the Badaling area that give access to The Great Wall. Wyatt and Larry walked all the way to the top of wall as far as it was permitted. I went about 1/3 of the way up. The steps were very steep and big!

After we finished walking The Wall, we had lunch and were also treated to “shopping stops” at a cloisonné factory, and a silk processing workshop on the way home.

We discussed going to a part of The Great Wall that isn’t as popular with the tourists, and not rebuilt. That’s always an option (although not encouraged by the Chinese government), but it required a 2-3 hour ride.

It was our last day in Beijing, so after we got back to our hotel, we had one last walk through the hutongs. And I stopped to say “see you next time” to Alice in her Tea House.