The Great Wall

Here’s some advice if you ever plan on going to the great wall:

1. Stretch first
2. Don’t take a 2 year old unless you plan on carrying her
3. Go on a weekday
4. Go in winter
5. You don’t need to take a tour
6. Did I mention stretching?

Yesterday we went to the Great Wall at Badaling north of China. We decided to try and catch the bus rather than take a tour because we just wanted to go to the wall and not the Ming Tombs and tourist traps they herd you through. So we took a taxi to the bus stop and of course we were ambushed by drivers wanting to take us there. After some haggling, we actually got a decent rate for a private car to and from Badaling (300 RMB or 38 USD). The bus would have been cheaper but when traveling with Maeli, it’s sometimes nice to have a bit of comfort.

We arrived at Badaling around 1:00 PM. I was prepared for the usual swarm of tourists but since it was a Wednesday in January, it was practically deserted. Yesterday was also the warmest day we’ve had in Beijing (which is one reason why we decided to go then). It was certainly cold once you got high up on the wall, but it wasn’t frigid like other days have been here.

You can’t miss the western section of the wall at Badaling. Its steep assent memorised us that we didn’t even notice the much easier climb on the eastern wall. Our driver warned us several times to be careful. I imagine he might have been wondering if we’d make it back.

The wall at Badaling has been restored and is the most visited section. That said, it’s not tame by any sense of the word. The stairs ascending the mountain are dangerous, well worn and uneven—some as high as my knee. I was a bit worried about how we were going to get Maeli up to the first tower but somehow we did it, mostly by carrying her. Maeli openly enjoyed climbing the easier sections. She loves steps and the Great Wall was her paradise. Walking around town with Maeli is always a fun, albeit slow, adventure as she attempts to climb the stairs of every storefront. Every storefront.

“The cliffs of insanity!” was Jenny’s cry of achievement as we conquered the wall. At first Jenny wasn’t sure she even wanted to visit due to Maeli. She kept telling me to go alone. But once she got there and reached the watchtower she admitted this could be one of the finest achivements of her life. Later that night we watched The Princess Bride for good measure.

Speaking of later that night, we went out to dinner to Xiao Wang’s Home Restaurant which our travel guidebook rated number 1 in China. We couldn’t agree more. We enjoyed the deep fried spare ribs, succulent spicy eggplant, sauteed green beans with garlic and pork, and crispy sweet tofu (it’s amazing that tofu can mimic the taste and texture of marshmallows). The feast came to under $15.00 USD. Of course, Maeli downed a bowl of rice as she does at all of our outings. The service was, as Jenny puts it, top drawer. If you’re in Beijing, you can’t miss this place.

All in all, yesterday turned out to be one of our finest here in Beijing. A wonderful send off as we now pack for our redeye train to Shanghai.