I should have titled this entry Wet on the Wall! Our Great Wall day was a bit soggy. The hostel has a day trip to drop off a group way out in the country side and then pick everyone up 10 kilometers (up hill) away in Simatai. This is better than walking on the wall in Badaling the big tourist spot. But, it is quite a grueling hike. My 23 year old fit America roommate, Eddie, looked like death when he got back yesterday and went right to bed! The van leaves at 6:40am and gets back for dinner.
About 2 hours out of town we learned that the Great Wall was closed at Simatai because of the rain and thunderstorms. Apparently a girl from Greece was killed there in the rain recently and they were not taking any more chances with their precious tourists! Come to find out she was struck my lightening while talking on her cell phone!
So, we diverted our course and went to another remote section of the wall. The good news is this section to hike was only 2 kilometers. That I can handle! I didn't even need all the provisions I brought. My friend Pien, from Holland, and I walked, talked and took photos the whole way. It was wonderfully serene and the surrounding hills and mountains were very lush. The wall just weaves and climbs right along with the terrain. There are cool watch towers along with way with wonderful views in all directions.
What a monumental architectural undertaking for the 200 BC! The same Emperor who created my favorite Terra-cotta warriors in Xi'an, Emperor Qin, is the one who connected many existing feudal walls and created the Great Wall. He was protecting his empire from the marauding nomads to the north. It took hundreds of thousands of workers to complete the project. Over the years the wall deteriorated and successive dynasties repaired and explanded the wall. Today the Great Wall stretches 7200 kilometers from the Bo Sea to the Gobi Desert.
Walking along the Great Wall, even a little damp, was a moving experience. Although much different from seeing palaces and works of art, it's another fascinating glimse into China's Imperial past.
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