Tuesday April 26th

Today our wake up call was 5:30am (!!) and Jane had organised breakfast to start in the hotel at 6am in order for us to be ready to leave by 7am, which we did.  Jane had sat with Mathew and myself for breakfast, and had told us that, when visiting the “Silk Market” (or rather, copy-market) later on in the day, everyone is usually on the bus waiting for HER.....

The Great Wall

We set off at 7am and headed north to Juyong Guan where we arrived around 8:45am having just driven into a mountain pass.  Even from the road we were able to see parts of the wall travelling up and down the ridges on both sides of the road, and it felt quite surreal!  We got off the bus and it was really quite windy, although it was sunny and hazy , even the view across the road was a view and a half before even setting foot on the Wall.

Mathew on the Great Wall

Through the turnstiles, we finally set foot on the Great Wall.  We were given two hours to walk wherever we wanted to, and boy did we fill those two hours!!  The steps alternated between shallow and steep so we couldn’t get into any sort of rhythm at all.  I was very thankful for the hand rail being there as I pulled myself up with it!  I followed Mathew’s advice and walked up so far, stopped for a few breaths, continued for a little longer, and stopped again for a few breaths, whether I needed to stop or not.  This proved very useful and practical as in just 10 minutes we reached the first tower on our route!  I had already decided which tower I wanted to reach when I looked up from the bottom, and as Mathew and I both know, when it comes to my determination when walking (at least), I damn well make sure I get where I want to!

The Great Wall

So I clung to the handrail and continued up and up and up and reached my personally decided destination.  By this time we realised that there were many false summits, and each tower we arrived at revealed a view of yet more towers going up the mountains.  Mathew wanted to get to the very top tower where the wall split into two which was two more towers away at this point.  I managed to get to the first one, then I looked at the distance to the last one and decided “Well....I’ve come all this way....” so we both made it to “Tower 13” having climbed around 2400 steps and an ascent of 300 metres!  Hooray! 

The steps up the actual tower were just horrific...!  First off they’re more like a ladder, made with bricks standing vertically on their smallest ends.  Tiny feet would have made this easy but these were also incredibly worn and curved, making it difficult to climb, and almost impossible to come back down!  I have no idea how I managed to get up and back down, but we both did it.  At this last tower, we reached, the wall split into two and we could have continued, having seen the next tower it was so easy to think “Just one more...”  This wall really does go on and on and on forever!!

The Great Wall

I didn’t have any expectations about the Great Wall really, with the exception of wanting to get a good photo of a tower with the wall following the mountain ridge, which of course, I got!  I certainly wasn’t disappointed with the Great Wall at all, but there were things I weren’t expecting – I thought the wall would be quite wide, but it was uneven, wide in some parts, narrow in others.  Also I knew the steps would be worn but I had no idea about their unevenness, being steep one moment, and shallow the next.  The steps up the towers also surprised me being more like ladders and being the worst steps I have EVER come across in my life so far!

At tower 13 we could see never-ending mountains, the wall and the next tower urging us invitingly on, and we could feel rain in the air.  Unfortunately it was time to start making our way back to the bus, and it was time to re-trace our steps...something I wasn’t really looking forward to at all..!  We were okay at first, as the last couple of stretches of the wall had been mostly shallow and very easy.  But the second half of the descent was much more difficult – I thought – as there were more visitors going up and down, and I always find that, at some point during a long descent, whether it be a slope or steps (and this was both, though mostly steps), my legs start to get REALLY wobbly and unsteady.  Not good for a clumsy person like me, and of course this happened on the steepest part!!

I made it on the Great Wall!

I clung to the handrail coming back down even more desperately than when I had climbed up, and I started thinking to myself that I actually preferred going up this thing!  Eventually (and after a cake stop of course!) we got down to the car park with seconds to spare, absolutely NO time whatsoever to have at least a look at any of the shops or stalls.  We were back on the bus as soon as we had come down, and we headed straight off to the Jade factory.

So we only had two hours on the Great Wall, but we both went as far as we could, and I went much further than I thought I was able to, and surprised myself and Mathew by doing it too.  We filled the time well, and we definitely feel that we have walked on the Great Wall so we can definitely say we have now been to China!

We stopped at a Jade factory where we saw some Jade being carved and saw different types of Jade in raw and polished form, then of course we went on to the shop.  BUT not many people bought from here – it was immensely expensive, and although the Jade here was genuine, I certainly felt that everything had been purposefully overpriced as tourists would come here and know for sure the Jade is real, whereas there are many places where it is priced reasonably, or very cheap, and sometimes it is hard to know whether you’re buying genuine Jade or a very good fake!

I heard Ashley at least looking at the price of some items and saying “Jesus!  My car cost me less than that!”.  I just thought we were being taken for mugs here.  Seriously silly silly prices, actually I personally thought that most items here were worth half the price they were labelled as being, for the prices they wanted here, I would expect them to come in a 14ct gold inlaid hand carved wooden box!

Anyway, the restaurant for lunch was upstairs in the Jade factory, and after that it was back on the bus after chatting to Austin about visiting him and Liz in St. Davids next time we go to south Wales.

Now it was time for the “Silk Market”.  Now Jane had told us it was not actually a silk market, the only thing relating it to silk was that there was a silk market which was originally in the same spot many many years ago.  She told us it was known as a “copy market” meaning knock off designer stuff.  When we arrived though it was not at all what I expected – I was thinking it would be yet another street market, and I thought we would wander around for a bit, maybe get a couple of trinkets and then go for a coffee.  But no – this was an indoor market known as “Silk Street” – more or less a shopping mall with 4 floors of market stalls!  This was exactly what our cup of tea WASN’T and we were given 2 and a half hours here.....!

So we went in and looked around a little before heading out for a coffee.  Now, I have to say street markets I like, but this one – NO WAY!  These people are BRUTAL when trying to get a sale!!  As soon as they see a western face, it’s “You want a t-shirt?” “You want a tie?” “You want a wallet?”, and I mean EVERY person selling – you didn’t even need to look at what they’re selling and you can’t even have a conversation with someone walking with you down the lanes either.  As soon as they see you they show you what they’re selling and ask you if you want to buy one.  It’s much more passive on the street markets and they are plain sailing compared to this lot!  I am REALLY glad we didn’t come here first!

Anyway, I managed to find a snow- globe for a friend, which the assistant told me was worth 125 Yuan, but she would give it to me for 85.  Seriously, if you were to buy one in London it would cost less than £5.  I said 10 Yuan and she was all “No joke price, lady!” I said “I’m not joking, I’ll pay 10 Yuan”.  I began to leave and she offered 25 but I stuck at 10, walked off, and then she agreed.  She wasn’t happy but I’m sorry I’m not paying £8.50 for something which is actually worth £1.  And seriously – that “it’s hand carved” trick won’t work on me on a moulded piece of painted resin!

Mathew and I spent about 15 – 20 minutes in the Market before escaping, and where did we escape to?  Starbucks of course!  As it was a cooler day, I had a warm drink, while Mathew stuck to his new favourite Vanilla Cream while we sat in comfy chairs by the windows doing some people watching for the majority of the next 2 hours before heading to the coach, which was actually quite nice.

But we left 10 minutes late – we were waiting for Jane to come back before we could leave, just as she had told us this morning!!  Haha!

Next up we were off to an Acrobatic show which wasn’t exactly what I expected, but it was fun.  Lots of balancing, bending, juggling, diabolo and bowl twirling, and a huge steel ball in which a total of 5 motorbikes whizzed around the inside without crashing - that last one was the finale.

After all this, we went for dinner and finally back to the hotel.  Tomorrow we would be attempting to check in online and try to get a seat together on the plane home, but we don’t know what time we will get back to the hotel.  We have, however, arranged to share online time in the hotel to check in with Adrian and June.  It is not the end of the World if we’re not sitting together, but it would be nice.  Tomorrow’s sight-seeing: Summer Palace (garden) Beijing Olympic village and Hutongs.