Most folks have been travelling in excess of 12 hours, body clocks think it’s 2.30am, bodies haven’t been washed for some time and everyone is dressed to travel and not to go sightseeing in blazing sun. If all that wasn’t bad enough some travellers didn’t want to go to the Great Wall anyway, having been there before.
After much to-ing and fro-ing those few who didn’t want the trip got a taxi to the hotel (claimed to be 1.5 hours away) and the rest of us headed off to the Great Wall at Badaling, which took almost two hours to get to - the traffic in Beijing is particularly bad now.
We, too have been to the Wall before, but last time we turned right and went to the fourth tower, this time we went left and climbed up the very steep hill to the high tower.
Firstly I need a sun hat (the one brought is in the suitcase), so a quick bit of bartering results in a “Great Wall” hat. Val borrows an umbrella to shade the sun and some suncream (her own being in the suitcase, too).
The temperature is well into the 90’s so the going is particularly tough - an one point you turn a bend and are confronted with a sheer face of steps.
The views are great from the tower. We look back at the wall stretching off into the distance. This time we have the video camera with us and can pan which gives a much better impression than half a dozen slides shown one after the other.
Twenty minutes viewing and it is time to descend, walk round the souvenir shops and take refreshments before another never-ending bus ride to the hotel (Xiyuan).
The tour leader is requested to assist with check-in.
The usual hotch potch of food intake over the last 36 hours means that we don’t fancy much, so we head out looking for a supermarket to buy some water and other refreshments.
We dine on cuppa soup (specially imported) with rolls to dunk in it, followed by coffee and biscuits, also imported. We then put our feet up for what remains of the day.
Go to Forbidden City and to Wuhan
Copyright © 1997 Andrew J White