This would definitely be one of the highlights on this trip. The Great Wall is the longest man-made structure on Earth, spanning nearly 4,000 miles of China's northern frontier. Some claim that it can be seen from outerspace....which is another Chinese myth!
We had two options: 1.) go left up the mountain and climb the Wall at a much greater incline, or 2.) go right across the mountain promenade with less of an incline, but further distance. It was basically a choice between "hard" or "harder".
We decided to play it safe and begin the morning with the easier option #2 route. Again, let me remind you, nothing is ever easy in China. It appeared that we would be able to tackle this Wall in under an hour and reach the top.....but we both started to struggle half-way up the mountain. Why? Look at these steps! Every step you took required your full concentration. Some steps were broken, missing, steep, small, warped....not to mention all the Chinese people coming at you from all directions.
To make a long story short...let's just say one of us made it to the very top. I got some great scenic pictures of the beautiful mountain passes, plateaus, and grasslands that surrounded the defensive fortification at the top. Now came the moment I had been dreading....marching back down the Great Wall.....one step at a time!
