After spending a fairly relaxing day at the temple of heaven yesterday, we got up this morning at 5.45 in order to head to the great wall of China. The sections we went to were Jimshanlyn and Simatai which were suppossed to be a mixture of restored and original wall.
I would like to blame the early start for my lack of forethought when dressing to head off to the wall. Once we got there is became obvious that everyone else knew something we didn't. Stood in three quater jeans and flip flops outside of the bus I couldn't help but feel concen when I noticed that evryone else seemed to be wearing hiking boots and carrying walking sticks. It was then that our guide announced - 'you will need to trek 10 kms from this point to Simatai where I will meet you' and I felt some brief panic.
In true Aussie style we decided that everyone else was prob being overly cautious in their attire and heading off to the wall in our pluggers! I will try and upload some photos in the next couple of days just to show how stupid this decision really was. At some points the wall was approx a 70 degree incline, with lose rocks, slippery surfaces and a drop on either side. I had visions of the newspaper heading "Aussie plunge to their death at the Great Wall of China - wearing only thongs on their feet' and every Chinese person who walked past looked at our feet in astonishment. It really was one of the stupidest things I have done!!!
Anyway - obviously we made it and the views were spectacular. The size of the wall really is incomprehendable!!! It stretches as far as the eye can see and reaches such hights that I can not even imagine how the poor workers building the thing carrying the stones up there. It was an exhausting walk of 4 hours which ended in a fantastic - if not slightly scary flying fox ride down the hill and over a river. It was great!
Last night we found a Peking duck restaurant and between the 3 of us managed to eat an entire duck - brain and all. I have no idea why it is that I have to pretend I am really tough and willing to try anything but I do, so when they presented us with the ducks head sliced down the middle I plunged my chopstick in and got me some ducks brain. It was horrible!! It wasn't that it had a nasty taste, or any taste at all really, it was more that it left a greasy film on my tounge and I couldn't stop thinking about it for hours afterwards which made me feel really sick.
Tomorrow we are off to the forbidden city so it should be another really long day of walking, and a pretty early start. After that it is the Shaolin temple for some kung fu action which is obviously the part of the trip I am most looking forwards to!!!
Best get off to bed now then.
