When I think back to a few months ago when Joey initially asked, "Hey want to go to China after our grants are up?" we both really wanted to see the Great Wall. Everything else was fine, but the thing we were both looking forward to the most was the Great Wall. Joey even mentioned to me on our horrible 31 hour train ride that he kept thinking to himself, "You're going to see the Great Wall...You're going to see the Great Wall!" Even though we arrived in Beijing on Saturday morning, we read that the wall is the most crowded on the weekends (not to mention that the weather was horrible). So, we decided that we would go Monday, November 5, which also happened to be my birthday :) As if saving the best for last, it also happened to be both of our second to last days in China. Joey and I had researched different locations on the Great Wall, and the one we settled on also happened to be 100 miles Northeast of Beijing.
Our Inner-Mongolian friend, YiLya, also wanted to see the Great Wall (she had never been either!) It was so special to go to the Great Wall with her- someone who knew so much about Chinese and Mongolian history (The Great Wall was built to protect Chinese from Mongolians!) On the way there, we had to take 3 different buses (thank goodness YiLya was there). When our third bus dropped us off near Jinshanling (the area of the Great Wall we'd decided to go), we still needed to bargain with, and hire, a private taxi to take us to the entrance. It was a trek getting there. It took us over 2 hours. However, as soon as I stepped out of the bus on the side of the highway, I looked around at the DROP DEAD GORGEOUS mountains jutting up from all around us. Then I could faintly see it: The WALL!!! In the distance, the Wall could be seen, gently piercing the sky. It really was amazing. There are few times in my life that I am speechless, and this was one of them.
After paying our entrance fee (around 65 Yuan), we started walking up to the entrance of the Wall. It was exhilarating, and there were very few other people there. I can't really describe the feeling I had on the Wall, I just felt completely overwhelmed. It was thrilling. I felt like I was part of something that was so Great (no pun intended). I did have a personal moment of silence for all of the people who built, and died for, the Great Wall. This project must have taken years upon years to build, even getting one stone up on those mountains seems like it would have been exhausting. I can only imagine how many people it took, and how tiring it was. Really unbelievable. Also, as Joey pointed out, who would want to attack the Wall after making past all of the jagged mountains before it! The mountains really looked to be a protective barrier in itself.
We only had about 2 hours to hike the Great Wall before we had to start heading back. Getting back to Beijing was even harder than getting there: We had to bargain/ take 2 separate private taxis, and then 2 different buses. If YiLya wasn't there, Joey and I couldn't have gone to Jinshanling on our own. Also, Joey either lost, or was pickpocketed on the way to the Great Wall. He said his wallet was in his pocket but his pocket was unzipped. He thought he might have forgotten to zip it and it fell out, or he made it easy for someone to steal. I and YiLya lent Joey money. Thank goodness his passport wasn't in there! If he had to lose his wallet, 2 days before his travels were over and he went home to America was rather good timing!
We returned home around 7pm, and I had plans with a friend from college, Rebekah, who's studying abroad at Beijing University to eat Peking Duck together around 6pm. I didn't have a phone and I was frantically trying to reach her when we returned late to our hostel. I was able to borrow a nice stranger's phone and call her. She told me the subway stop and directions to where to meet, and we met up in one of Beijing's really hi-so districts (completely different than the little historical district where Joey and I were staying). It was great to see Rebekah, and to meet her friend Ethan (who we discovered is from Deerfield, IL!) We bought some juice, and then went to a Starbucks (!) and chatted for a few hours. It was great to hear their inside opinions on China, and just to catch up in general. I'm so glad that I got to see Rebekah.
I apologize that there are so many pictures of me. But hey, I was at the freaking GREAT WALL! Also, it's my birthday so I get a free pass this time ;) One of the most inspiring things that I have ever seen. I am so lucky.
My first glimpse of the Great Wall
Simply Spectacular...
A giant white marble carving at the entrance to the
Great Wall at Jinshanling
Another picture of me and the Great Wall :)
The mountains that surrounded the Great Wall were
just as impressive (to me) as the actual wall
The Wall!
I took a picture through a little lookout hole in the wall.
Don't the mountains look daunting enough?!
Joey walking up the Great Wall :)
"What's Up?"
...From the Great Wall of China
Wind swept look
This is a nice photo!
I like this one too. I'm on the
GREAT WALL OF CHINA!!!
So beautiful...look at how "bendy" it is!
Can you see the watch towers way off in the distance?
Me and YiLiya!
Joey and YiLiya!
Me and Joey!
So breathtaking
Magnificent!
A very cold yellow bee I saw on the wall :)
I feel like I'm photoshopped into this photo!
Joey!
Great Wall! My birthday! Woohoo!
Strong women haha
Walking along the Wall
The man who took this photo had one of those fancy
tripod cameras, but still couldn't manage to fit all 3
of us in this picture. Go figures.
I copied YiLiya on this one.
Look at those GORGEOUS jagged mountains!!!
YiLiya climbing down some steep stairs
Me, the Wall, and my 24th birthday :)
A very old carved brick decoration
The Great Wall exceeded all of my expectations.
Tiny watch towers touch the sky
I tried to take a selfie with me and the wall
and this is what I took hahaha
"I'm 100 miles Northeast of Beijing on top of the Great Wall of China!!!"
You can take the girl out of Thailand...
Some final pics
This lake reflected from the ground like a diamond
National Geographic.
Joey!
This is my favorite picture from the day.
My 24th birthday at the Great Wall :)!
Joey and I in front of a cool horse statue and a Chinese sign that warns about "fire"
Even the trash cans are "Great Wall" themed!
I really like this photo too!
Waiting for one of our buses back to Beijing.
The watch towers in the distance were built by the
Japanese during WWII. While waiting here, a Chinese man
who was talking with YiLiya came up to me and thanked me
for being American and helping fight against the Japanese
during WWII. He said that "Americans are rich, good to the
environment (as he tossed a cigarette box on the ground) and
more polite than Chinese people." I was completely taken
aback. I've gone from being the bad guy in Vietnam, to the
good guy in China." I was not alive for either of these events.
I've learned and experienced so much through these travels...
The swirly ice creams at McDonald's in China
are the BEST!!!
Rebekah and I!
Ethan and I!
The three of us. What a great, low key birthday night :)
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