Great Wall of China - photos

May 1, 2010

We marvel at the beauty and power of the Wall - stretching in both directions - and branching to guard towers and side offshoots - and begin the walk along the wall. I can see another Cable Car in the distance so we decide to walk down to it - and take the other cable car down. The wall is - challenging - to walk. Steps vary in height from perhaps an inch each - to over foot-high clips - to sections which are flat - or ramped smoothly. The angle gets *quite* steep - particularly in the warm May sun and I'm glad that I'm heading significantly *down* as I pass others climbing laboriously *up* past me.

It's dry and dusty - quite the contrast to seaside Florida where I was just a day ago.

Periodically, I have to make a point of mentally "pinching myself". I'm *on* the Great Wall of China. It is *massive*. A "highway along the mountain peak". Inconceivable amounts of human energy expended to mound up the earth (and dead bodies), then top it with stones. And we've all seen it in movies and pictures and documentaries, but I'm here really, truly, *on* the wall. It is beautiful and massive and daunting and inspiring - reminding what humans can accomplish - for better or for worse.

We explore the guard houses - massive square 2-story blocks in the wall, but it seems that every opportunity to just sit and look out a window - is taken by someone who has decided to just "adopt" the spot with no intention of moving, so we peek out, then move on. Down and down and down.

We walk thru a low arch doorway and look down to find a *donkey* just standing peacefully. Just *standing* there. Kathy suggests that he carried the drinks and snacks being hawked by enterprising entrepreneurs: "You buy beer!? Hat? Hat for lady?"

An offshoot extends 100 yards - leading to another guard tower and I run down to it - thinking to have the tower to myself as Kathy stays back to take a photo - but as soon as I head down the wall, I have attracted attention to the empty tower and suddenly others are interested as well, so I don't really get the tower to myself. It has a whole second floor - like the others, and I REALLY want to shinny up through one of the holes in the roof - to get to stand on the *top* - but I see no way to get there without a ladder (the roofs are probably 8 feet up) - and I'm not carrying a ladder with me, so I trudge back up (not a run this time) to the main section. Reminding me again that I've been going *down* a lot and that *up* is a lot harder.

And then we catch up with another of the couples on our tour - who let us know that we are *not* allowed to take the other cable car down. We have to get back up to the original one. And time is running out.

OOps! Back UP!!! to the original spot.

So we turn around - perhaps halfway to the 2nd cable car - and begin the trudge back *up*. And I find that it is like climbing straight up - as far as my heart is concerned. My thighs are holding out - for the most part, but my heart begins to POUND - maybe a pulse of 150 - so I have to sit for awhile and let my heart slow down again - knowing that time is ticking away while I do. Kathy is doing fine: she's been exercising regularly for years now - but my heart is letting me know that I've missed too many days of Nintendo Wii FIT exercise.

I resume my climb and finally - Finally - make it back to the summit and the cable car. Kathy and I find a table to sit at and eat the Subway sandwiches that our tour provided - and gulp a bottle - or two - of water - and cool down - while looking at yet-another donkey quietly standing near the wall. Then we board the cable car for the ride back down. And another *extended* "gauntlet" of vendors to negotiate. The cry of "One Dolla! One Dolla" turn to "Two for dolla!!! TWO for dolla!" as we shake our heads and pass by: nothing here we need to take with us - but photos and memories.

It is over too soon, and we load back onto the bus for another extended ride - and talk with our guides - as we drive back to Beijing.

Enjoy the whole set of 68 photos on "The Great Wall of China" HERE - and remember that all of these are available as 12Megapixel photos so if you want to zoom in to see something closer, download the big versions and zoom away.