The Great Wall

The great wall really was an amazing thing to see. We really didn't stay long because it was so cold (well below freezing with a strong wind). However, it was worth every appendage numbing minute. Lora may have a different perspective, but was a real trooper. I know how much she loves cold weather. I've seen pictures of the wall during peak season where it is just a sea of people trying to push their way along the wall. This was NOT peak season, and in some ways, the cold may have been a blessing.

Rough Terrain.
I was hoping where we would go wouldn't be flat. It wasn't.
First glimpse of the wall. It was hard to believe.
Greats Wallcicles- Cold. Very very windy and very cold. Well below freezing and a steady 20 mile an hour wind. Even with the cold there were a lot of street vendors pushing tee-shirts, post cards, and other things. They would start out at 40 or 50 rmb and then would be asking you what you would pay and offering to give it to you for 10. One old lady was particularly persistant. They seemed to ignore Lora and focus on me. She was selling postcards (they all seem to sell they same stuff). After many many "No" answers, she declared I could "buy" later. On the way back down the wall she caught me again and I had this weird moment of trying to out pace a 60 year old woman selling postcards for pennies. She was so insistant that at some point it made it more of a priority to NOT buy anything. I was torn between two thoughts. 1. Buy one of each thing and they will leave you alone since you already have it. 2. Buy something and you will be marked a sucker and be swarmed.
The wall extended to the horizon in both directions. Turns out this is one of the more preserved sections. 1/3 of the 6000km wall is totally gone, 1/3 is in very bad shape, and 1/3 is okay. In the more remote regions there is just no money or reason to preserve the wall so it is destroyed by humans near by needing bricks, rock, or soil. In fact, in one area a portion of the wall was torn down so that a fake one similar to this section could be errected in a different area for tourism.
The walk is steep! What a thigh burner. Of course the cold numb feet made it more challenging to both film, take photos, and come back down the stairs.
You can see the wall on the distant ridges.
Just keep walking... just keep walking... You can see this lady is about to keel over from exhertion. I did have the not-so-pleasant thought of one less push vendor!
So pretty... so massive. I didn't realize it wasn't one wall. There are many branches and spurs to the wall covering and protecting other peaks.
Great wall grafiti. It was carved everywhere. I wonder if it says something profound, or is just the usual for a good time call information. I'd like to think it is more profound than that.
Arrow slits, angled down to discourage invaders.