Hiking the Wall

Christina and I and the Great Wall of Simatai.
Originally uploaded by amigodavido

The Great wall isn't like anything I had previously conceived: a smooth walk with lots of stairs. In fact, there are parts that have crazy drop-offs near cliffs, crumbling sections, and places where you walk on all fours. People have died hiking this and the Grand Canyon was actually easier. (My dad would not enjoy it) To start, we took a tram up to the Wall at Jin Shan Ling and walked seven miles to Simatai. The hike took about four hours and we passed some of the most breath taking vistas and crumbling towers. The group that we went with was one of the most colorful I had ever seen: a couple from Paris, two from Germany, two from Belgium, a Swedish Thai dude, two Brits, a reggae musician from Canada, and three prissy girls from Calgary. My sister was a trooper and insisted on hiking the entire thing with her laryngitis. Kudos for being tough, Christina!

To top the entire experience off, we took a zipline over a canyon and a lake to get off of the wall even quicker. The best part was that it was only $6. The safety precautions were a bit shady, like improperly strapped harnesses and a carabiner that didn't lock, but hey, we survived! Plus I was able to film the entire thing with my digital camera. Now that I don't have my Super 8, I can focus on photography more. However, I missed a lot of great footage today. *Sigh.

Tonight we went to the best place in Beijing to get Peking Duck. They have been fire roasting duck for 150 years and I must say it is delicious. Oddly, the duck is sliced table-side and it is served in a wrap with hoisin sauce and onions. A little bizarre at first, but incredibly delicious. Afterward we took a stroll through Hou Hai, a swanky lake district filled with over 300 restaurants and bars and some very bad Chinese Pop music (there was a punk band that was amusing). Now I am about to go to bed...but it is my last night in Beijing. Should I go explore? You know me...

~David