Day 3 - The Great Wall of China

After hastily signing off from my blog yesterday, I ran to catch the van to Jinshanling, an area through which the Great Wall passes. It was a 3 hour drive north from Beijing.

That was one of the most difficult hikes I have EVER completed. It was about 90 degrees, but felt at least 100 with the humidity. I climbed it with a crazy old man from Montreal who has trekked the world over several times. It was supposed to take us 6 hours, but with him, it took 3. I struggled to keep up with him as he lept from brick to brick. This part of the wall is not as well maintained as other parts, like Great Wall at Badaling. There were no more than 100 people on the 6 mile stretch, where there are thousands upon thousands on any day at Badaling. There were also many hagglers, soliciting goods like cold beer, water and post cards.

I forgot my lunch but fortunately, Crazy Canadian guy packed enough for three. We stopped and had biscuits and boiled eggs; another bedraggled hiker came up from behind, barefooted, and joined us for lunch.

Another hour and a half and we were through. Instead of walking down to the area where the van was meeting us, I took the 'flying fox' express route instead - strapped into a harness, I slid down a steel cable over a river to the end point in Simatai. A classy exit.