Today is kind of a big day for me, finally I will visit the Great Chinese Wall, a structure that always has fascinated me. Around 07.10 we had breakfast in the hostel and at 08.00 we left in 2 vans, 12 people in total. The part of the wall we will visit today is the part near Huanghua Cheng, a very quiet piece of the wall without any tourists except us. The wall (which was once like 6000 km in length!) is restored several times here, but you can see the different layers in restoration. It is really great to finally walk here, knowing all the effort it took to create this structure hundreds of years ago. We climb from 200 meter to about 700 meter on the wall, facing several extremely steep grades and staircases. Unbelievable Chinese people could even get those massive rocks up here in that time. We visit the great wall for like 3 hours and we are very lucky with that, because I heard most travellers only be there like one hour max and that is even in the tourist part, where you can’t shoot one picture without anyone on it. And the price is less, there are two good meals for us and we don’t have to visit any shop; This tour was really good effort (only book-able for guests of the 9 Dragons guest-house in Beijing)!
Entering the Great Wall by old side entrance
First view on the structure in length
View from one of the door-holes in a guardhouse
……….. Need I say more?!……….
Wide view from the highest point we reach
The group; young, international and full of energy!
Me on the wall far away, try to find me!
The way back down was kind of steep sometime
We are back in the hostel at 15.30 so I lay down for a moment. In the evening I eat the most famous Beijing Roast Duck in the Beijing Roast Duck Restaurant, the best place in town so they say. I can really subscribe to that sentence; for only 123 yuan (like 14 euro) I have a really delicious Roast Duck, in a very luxurious environment that feels like a three star restaurant. The cooks even cut the Duck live at your table, what looks very impressive. Over all a perfect final day and evening in Beijing!
The busy cook
The final meal; Beijing Roasted Duck with pancakes, cucumber and spring onions
Magnificent pictures, San, especially the one taken from the guardhouse, very well done, great peace of work!!
heej sander
weer geweldige foto`s
maar even ook nieuws uit nederland
wij zijn vandaag naar eindhoven geweest naar glow
en het was zoals jij al zei wel heel mooi om te zien
heb de foto`s op mijn hyves staan
veel plezier nog op je reis
xxx jolanda
Impressive stories and photo’s Sander, unbelievable. I also love the way you write it down, neutral and honest. The bigbill experience is less nice, but I promise to buy you a good aussie beer to remove any nasty taste that might be left 🙂 See you in a few days!
Hi Sander!!
I’m finally up to date 😉 Fortunately it’s not that you wrote massive stories every time 😉 Otherwise I wouldn’t be don within 2 days! Haha no kidding! It’s great to read all this!
Pity of your bad experience, but it’s a good lesson 😉
The pictures of the Chinese wall are gorgeous!! Unbelievable! I have to say that Asia was never really a destination where I would think of going to, but your pictures are making me change my mind!
I don’t share you idea that killing a duck in front of me is impressive haha, but the meal looked extremely delicious though!
xxx Natalie
Hopefully you arrived safely back in Shanghai, Sander! Have a good flight to Sydney tomorrow! I’m glad you won’t be on your own from then on, more often much nicer to immediately share new experiences with someone you’re acquainted with.