Trip to the Great Wall
The day we spent on the Great Wall was probably my favorite part of the trip. We woke up early on the third day in Beijing, and took a 2 hour bus ride to the first part of the Great Wall we were to visit. My initial impression was that the Chinese countryside is incredible, with rolling hills and dense, largely untouched forests. Most of the Wall cuts through this countryside, making for some amazing views. Our first stop was at a fairly crowded part of the Wall, but for good reason. It had some of the best viewpoints, and I loved going up and down the stretch of Wall we were visiting, stopping here and there to enjoy the view. I was surprised at how well kept up the Wall was, considering how long ago it was built and how many people visit it every day.
Our next stop on the Great Wall was at a less crowded section, which I actually preferred. As we pulled up, I could see that the part of the Wall stretching to the right went up and up and up, almost out of sight into the mountains. Originally, I had no plans to climb all the way up there, but after one of my fellow McDaniel students convinced me, I decided to at least go maybe halfway up. After the 20 minutes or so it took to get to that point, I figured I might as well go all the way up, and I’m very happy I did. Even though it was a grueling climb, the view from the top and the satisfaction at having made it that far was worth it. I was able to see so much more of the Wall twisting off into the distance among the mountains, something I’ll never forget. Thinking about the effort it must have took to build the Great Wall, and how well it was built to have lasted so long, was incredible. It was easy to see why it is considered one of the wonders of the world.