We Conquered The Great Wall

Today we set out to conquer The Great Wall. For some it wasn't that big of a job. For this 40 something body, it was a BIG accomplishment...all 800 steps of it!

We were greeted at the front gate by a kitten that looked like he had put his paw in a light socket. Of course the girls wanted to pet him, to which they received a resounding "no" answer from me. Somehow getting bitten by a stray cat, who certainly has never had shots, half-way around the world from Western medical care, just wasn't on my "To Do" list today.

 

Vanessa, our guide, agreed to pose by the front gate of this section of The Great Wall.
 

 

This is a photo of the girls at the beginning of the 800 step climb. Poor AnnaGrace really struggled since she is still fighting a respiratory infection. She was a trouper and pressed on all the way to the top.

 

 

I had to take a photo of another fun sign! Decency is required in China...even of their fire evidently.
 

 

While we were toiling up the mountain to get to the Great Wall, some people had the right idea. They were riding a toboggan down the mountain.

 

 

 

Thankfully the majority of the climb had been sissified for tourists and all the stairs had been made uniform.

The original stairs on the Wall differ in both height and depth. The intent of the difference was to make it easier to defend against attackers. Each soldier knew his own portion of the wall and the particular design of "his stairs" which gave him a distinct advantage over any pursuers.

In the next photos you may be able to see the varying sizes of the steps. It was exhausting to climb this portion, as you could never get into a rhythm.

 

 

 

Finally we reached the top and saw a beautiful view of the mountain ranges in the distant.
 

 

AnnaGrace and I posed for the camera after I finished gasping.
 

 

Michaela, on the other hand, never even broke a sweat. I don't say that with any bitterness in my voice. Oh, to be seventeen and fit again...sigh.

 

The Great Wall, according to our guide, is 3,600 miles long. The portion we visited took 10 years to build and was built 800 years ago. It boggles my mind to think about the manpower needed to build a structure of this magnitude.

 

 

 

After climbing to the top, we opted to take the easy way down, the chair lift.

 

 

What a great feeling to know that we conquered The Great Wall!

 

In the afternoon we relaxed in our hotel room and enjoyed all the comforts of home...Starbucks and Pizza Hut pizza. Yes, even in China!