The Great Wall of China.- an unexpected gem.

I still remember when I first started making lists of places in the world I wanted to travel. I was about 7 or 8 years old and I had just started to read (I was a slow learner and I was in absolutely no hurry to learn to read). Unlike most kids who loved kids books, I hated them and would make a huge fit anytime my Mom would try to make me read them. Instead, I would round up all the blankets in the house and make blanket forts between the sofa and the bookcase. I would sit for hours looking and reading the 1988 World Book Encyclopedia. I would pick a letter a day and just read it (although, I'm not sure how much of the words I would skip because I still was a pretty awful reader). I started with the States and then moved to Cities and Countries. Soon there after, I started writing lists of places to visit and would build on the list throughout the years. Today I still have that list and it has no been translated to my computer. I currently have 689 places yet to visit!

One place that was never on the list was The Great Wall of China. Yes, I know you are probably saying, "Wait, you call yourself a traveler and you never put the Great Wall on your list!?! Are you crazy?". Let me clarify. It wasn't that I didn't want to visit it (I always knew it would be amazing), but I had so many other places to go first that I had come to terms early on in life that "I'd just never get over there". Plus, I figured it was a god awful tourist trap and there is nothing  I hate more than amazing historical treasures being subjected to cheesy tourism (Seoul, Korea's amazing Palace Gyeongbokgung unfortunately fits into this label because of their awful reenactments and costumes. You are so distracted by the tourism that you forget where you are).

So, you'd imagine my surprise when I was given the opportunity to visit Beijing, China for work not just once, but 4 times. I remember thinking, "They are going to PAY me to go to China?!" I immediately started investigating everything I could about the area and planning my attack. Of course, The Great Wall was on the list now that I knew I'd be going so I had to figure out where and when I'd go. I soon discovered that there are essentially 3 options for the The Great Wall in Beijing:

• Badaling (about 70K from Beijing city center)
• Mutianyu (about 90K from Beijing city center)
• Simatai (about 110K from Beijing city center)

There are a couple other options, but they are relatively smaller parts of the Wall. The thing about the Wall that I learned was that, unfortunately, the Chinese government has done a pretty awful job preserving it. There are miles and miles of impassable areas and then there are others that are completely rebuilt replicas. It is sad that they have chosen the "rebuild" vs. "preserve" method.

The other option a traveler has when they visit the Wall is the option of "tour bus" or "go it alone" method. Of course, many people choose the tour bus option because it appears to be easier, cheaper and "safer" where in fact is the opposite of all of those. Whatever you do DO NOT GO ON A TOUR BUS TO THE GREAT WALL. You'll be taken the worst part of the Wall (Badaling) which is like a very scary, very crowded Disney World. It is 100% replica, there are tour buses everywhere and you can only walk about 1 mile in total before you are asked to get back on the bus.

For my first and best trip to the Wall, I went to Mutianyu via a taxi driver that I paid for the day. Hiring a taxi for the day is a) cheap and b) a great way to get local advice. The guy I had spoke broken English and even stopped at a couple local towns to help me pick up some fruit for my hike. It is always the way to go.  Mutianyu  is one of the older parts of the Wall and not commercial in the slightest. In fact, you can hike about 4 or 5 miles either way and never see another tourist. It is and was one of the most awe-inspiring trips of my life. One thing I never realized about the Wall is that you have to get up to it to walk on it. I didn't even consider this has a task I'd have to deal with. Because of the altitude and height they provide a cable car or you can hike up it. Me, being stubborn and ever-focused on getting the authentic experience, choose the hiking approach. It is not for the unfit or anyone with trouble breathing. The air is thin and the hike is steep. It took me over an hour to get even to The Wall and by then I was already exhausted.

Exhausted or not, what I saw on the Wall was life changing. The Wall spread out over the mountains and landscape like an rolling wave. It was beautiful. The other thing I noticed was that there was no one but a few older Chinese couples with umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun. I remember thinking, "If this 70 year old couple can hike this Wall in pants and an umbrella, I can surely do it!" I started off soon there after and went as far as I could in one direction until the Wall crumbed under my feet and then turned around and went the other way. In total I hiked about 8 miles and it took me literally all day. My Taxi driver had even sent up a local to find me in fear that I had fallen off! A couple tips and things to consider about a visit to the Wall:

•  Bring Water, but don't over hydrate. There are no bathrooms on the Wall. I'm not sure about you, but peeing on the Wall just doesn't seem right.
• The Wall is extremely steep and challenging. There are huge steps, broken walkways, and uneven surfaces. Wear workout clothes and be prepared to sweat.
• Whatever you do, do not get lured into going to Badaling. You will hate every moment of it and wish you had just gone to Disney World's Epcot. It would have been a lot cheaper and easier to get to.
• Hire a taxi for the day that speaks a bit of English. Negotiate the full day's fare and align on when and where he will pick you up. I have done this in almost every country I've visited and I have never been left or ripped off.
• Do not waste the entire time taking photos. Don't get me wrong-- photos are great memories and great in moderation. Unfortunately, though, you can get carried away and ended up seeing the Wall through a camera lens rather than just taking a step back and seeing it. I have about 35 great photos that I love and many more ingrained memories in my brain. That is all I need.