Our Adventure!

The Great Wall deserves it's very own entry... It was fantastic.  Our original date for the trek was for Saturday but Britt woke up early ill.  Thankfully they allowed us to reschedule for Monday.  This trip is all about accepting things as they are... We figure, when something goes "wrong", something elsewhere will make up for it.  Monday came around, & the mini van pulled out from the hostel at 8:30AM for a 3hr drive to the wall.  From there we hiked up a little ways to tower #1 & had 3 hours to arrive at tower #22, 6km up the wall.  Photos don't justify the magnitude of the wall... It is over 5000 miles long & built anywhere from 400BC to the 1500's.  How?! It's insane!  Part of what made this particular trek appealing was that it hadn't been restored by the Government.  The pitch in some parts was so sketchy.  That plus crumbling stone made for an intense hike.  But the difficult trip made it that much more rewarding!  Mother Nature decided to shine the sun on our shoulders with temperatures of 30+ which worked out for the better as it burned off the haze & made for the most beautiful, distant views.  The Wall seemed to go on, & on, & on... & in the most absurd parts of the mountains!  And wouldn't ya know it...  Britt's sick day paid off, on tower 11 sat a Praying Mantis just for us.  The Wall was a major highlight of this trip for sure.