The Great Wall Revisited

Since Daddy G and Bro J's visits didn't overlap, we paid a second visit to The Great Wall, this time to Mutianyu. This section is slightly more Disney-fied; as you ride up the cable car, the quiet is disturbed by the euphoric whoops of people zipping down the Alpine Slide.


One can't help but be awed by this structure; the immensity of the task is the first thing that strikes me. And in the end this massive wall didn't keep the Mongols at bay.


And now the place is overrun by hordes of tourists, like us. We opted for the cable car up- believe me, you need your energy for hiking on the Wall itself. The steps are uneven, steep and off kilter. It was like the Stair-master from the flaming depths of hell. I was shocked at how winded I got and glad to take the slide down, no matter how hokey it looked.


And for the record, the Alpine Slide was a blast.