So, where in the world were we again? My Dad asked me if we were going to be stuck in Beijing forever. We did make it out of Beijing! And the kids did some stuff last spring. And we had a Summer Fun list. And we went on vacation to Florida. And I think I’ll blog about all of that. I think.
Maybe.
Someday.
And this is starting out as a very weird introduction to the post about one of the highlights of our trip to China: THE WALL! To call it The Great Wall almost seems like an insult, because it is so much grander than “great!” We were there in March, if you remember, so the mountains it goes through were gray. The pictures would be all the more impressive if there was a bit more color.
We started our journey at McDonalds, of all places! It’s hard to find what we consider breakfast foods in China, so it was a quick and easy to place to grab breakfast.
Nicki didn’t join us on this adventure since she was about 7 1/2 months pregnant. To get to the wall we started by taking the subway to a bus stop.
We had a short walk between the subway exit and the bus area. Along the way, we passed a double-decker bike parking area.
Since we were foreigners, it seemed to be somewhat of a challenge to find the correct bus. For one, there were two routes with the same number. One was direct to the Wall and the other had numerous stops. Also, people kept telling us that we were at the correct bus, when, in fact, we were not. It was always made obvious when we were told the price was much higher than we knew it was supposed to be. We would have been lost without our experienced guide, Craig. 
The bus ride was about one hour, if I remember correctly. It was interesting to see the city along the way.
There are numerous places to access the Wall. We went to the location closest to Beijing called Badaling. It’s one of the most popular locations for tourists and has been restored and renovated. Our option for actually getting up on the wall was the “Sliding Car.”
It was nice of them to provide some “Warm Tips.”
The car was basically an individual roller coaster ride, without the speed of a roller coaster.
We had lovely artwork to admire as we went up through the tunnel.
Our first views of the Wall behind the trees.
Views of the Wall from afar …
Walking on the Wall!
Sporting our stylish hats purchased for about 75 cents each before taking the sliding car to the top.
Our Chinese friend who works for Musco in Oskaloosa said the correct English translation of this sign should be: Do not pee.
More photo opportunities! I wonder if they put this picture on their blog? 
Some areas were very steep and the steps are rather uneven.
A view near the highest point we climbed.
I got this couple in my photo again!
According to Mao Zedong, also known as Chairman Mao, Ben is now a real man. He has a famous quote that goes something like, “If we fail to reach the Great Wall we are not men.”
Below is where we got on the wall. You can see the green thing on the left which covered the sliding cars.
How many pictures of us on the Wall?
More photo opps …
I think these girls all got numerous pictures!
A different group of ladies …
Sorry, ladies, he’s taken!
Some of us fit better than others.
It was sometimes harder to walk where there weren’t any stairs.
An alternate way to get on the Wall.
And, of course, no Wonder of the World would be complete without people selling junk, er, I mean, souvenirs!
And just like an amusement park photo of you screaming on a roller coaster, here we are on our way down on the sliding cars! And, yes, we bought a photo! We couldn’t pass that one up.
This lady was selling books about the Wall. We were discussing that it was a decent price, but we weren’t sure we were really “vacation book people.” We walked away but then had to pass her again to exit. She offered a price equivalent of about $3.50 U.S. How do you pass up these deals? You don’t. So, if you’d ever like to read about the history of the Wall or see some more photos, we’ve got a great book!
At least the prices are fair!
We got back to the bus stop and then headed back to the city. It’s almost like a dream that we walked on The Great Wall of China. Seriously! We did that!
Thanks for the “GREAT” reminders! Yes, we walked there too and it does seem to incredible to be true!!
Like!!!
I loved this…thanks for the warm reminders (btw, i have been thanked for “warm reminders” before), and some hilarious moments (don’t pee!). Bu Dao Chang Cheng, Fei Hao Han! If you haven’t been to the great wall, you’re not a real man/hero! Nice red text on the far-away wall. Does Ben have his arm around one of the girls?
Craig, I was trying to find that exact quote about “real men” and only found that it was part of a poem he wrote. Is that true? Or just an internet fable? And, yeah, Ben must just be used to putting his arm around short girls! ha ha!
I really don’t know…we learned it as part of a “lesson” in our chinese book, and some of my co-workers mentioned it. Jamie should know!