Great Wall of China

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After a 7am start, we had our buffet breakfast, layered up, checked out & got picked up buy our tour guide Brenda. We walked outside to find there was just a car with a driver waiting for us, private tour for 2! The drive to the Great Wall was 1 and a half hours, of which H slept most. Mean, the ability to sleep wherever! Now if they'd put a movie on I'd have been out like a light, lol! We drove through a very built up side of Beijing, then east through more farm like land. We arrved at the wall about 9.30 (we were picked up at such an early hour as our flight out of Beiging, where we are now, is at 6pm, so they suggested starting early and dropping us here afterwards). Brenda took us to buy our tickets, and then left us at the foot of the steps and said to meet her back there at 11am. We were a bit bemused as we thought she was going to come up with us and give us a tour or some info on it! We turned around to face an emourmous amount of steps! I quite enjoyed this bit (exercise freak! lol), but H didn't so much! The climb was soon forgotten once we reached the summit. The view was amazing. We climbed to tower no. 10, took in the view and took some pics, then walked to No's 9 & 8 where we started our decent (as it took us about half an hour to get up there, we thought we'd best get going down!). We met Brenda at the bottom, as it was a bit too aerly for lunch she got the driver to stop at a factory outlet which sold various jade carvings amongst other stuff which we had no intention of buying (we both have no room to even squeeze anything more into our rucksacks). We left a rather unhappy worker at the door (didn't seem v happy we didn't make any purchases).
Brenda suggested we drive back in to the centre of Beijing to find somewhere for lunch. She took us to a nice authentic chinese restaurant, where she insisted we tried roast duck. It was like what you'd get from a Pompey take out, fatty! After that we were taken to a Chinese Tea House. A lady took us into a small room and proceeded to make us 5 different types of Chinese tea, all were lovely...but we had a feeling there'd be a catch, she wanted us to buy some..or a pot, or a mug! So we bought some Green Tea.
We were then dropped at Beijing airport for our flight to HongKong.

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Photos

I made it!
Pose like a Chinese Person!

The Great Wall of China
Well worth the climb!

Comments

[JamesQ]

Woohoo, the first to comment!!
It looks almost as cold out there as it is back here! At least with all that walking you won't be missing your 6am trips to Fitness First. Madness, pure madness I tell ye!!! Surely the Food can't be as good as Bangkok Express on Albert Road??!! Have a fab time and keep updating the Journal

[Richard]

Thirsty
Hell of a way to go for a cup of tea. Looks fantastic though.

[sarah p]

i read the whole thing!!!!xxxxxxx

[Ana]

WOW!
I thought id be the only person slightly excited about running up stairs to the wall of China! Im not alone :-) Its all looking wicked so far! Am glad that we are not getting a bum deal with the chinese food and that what your eating is the same as what we get! Looking forward to the next instalment young Aud, its a wee bit like an episode of Eastenders.. Dum dum dum dum dum d-d-dum. :-)

[sarahP]

i have you audie pea as my background on comp, standing like a chinese person xxxx

[Sonny]

Great Wall!!!
Hey Audie and Hay, The Great Wall sounds amazing!! Just like you Aud to like a challenge of a million stairs in front of you!!! Just like me!!! I don't get why people out there don't like exersice!!! I hope you guys enjoyed the views and the tea!!! And how dare you not buy any carvings from that shop!!! Can't wait to read the next episode!! Luv Son. X