Saturday, June 17, 2006

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is an iconic Asian image. Though it was packed with tourists and annoying vendors, the Great Wall is still a must-see location for anyone who comes to Beijing.

The weather was very clear and VERY HOT when we climbed the great wall (I remember a periodic rain shower that lasted about ten minutes midway through our climb). The climb from the entry point to the top takes anywhere from 30 min - one hour depending on your speed and physical fitness level. Though a bit tough for me, I did not complain too much, and kept moving forward.

The path is not entirely upward sloping. To be fair, there are a lot of stairs, but there are also flat segments and downward sloping curves as well. I saw people of all walks of life climbing the wall. I even saw babies who were made to crawl up the stone steps by their parents.

According to our tour guide, one becomes a "hero" in China once they make it to the top of the Great Wall.

Being a hero never felt so good!

B.E.W.

P.S. - I have added the word verification requirement for commenting on the blog in order to stop the onslaught of comment SPAM I have been getting.

No comments: