THE wall

What can I tell you about the wall that you don't already know? No, it can't be seen from the moon. There is no 'single' wall and it was not built all at once, but is instead a number of sections across the country, many intersecting, built using different materials and methods by different dynasties. And it is a pain in the arse for the Chinese to maintain.


The section I visited was found between Simatai and Jinshangling - 110km NE of the city. It took about 3 hours to get there and is a 10km walk within this section. Much of it is unreconstructed and it took the group 2-3 hours to cross. Many parts are extremely steep, the wall taking a path between the steepest points of the range and the steps often ridiculously spaced. Often we were scrambling up with hands and feet. The views were amazing, unfortunately, I don't think photo's do it justice.
Dead tired by the end of the day and another early start for the next day. Thirty six hour train journey to Monglia.... I'll sleep on the train.