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ReadyClickAndGo & The Great Wall of China
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I’ve been to China 4 times, usually during the winter time when prices are really low. The last and best time was in December 2007 just before Christmas. I went trekking on the Great Wall of China from Jinshaling to Simatai and had the whole of it to myself and my guide who I unkindly ignored. Call me selfish but this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to trek on the Great Wall. Would you spend it chatting to the guide about the weather?
It was cold, rainy and in some parts the wall was so ruined the only way to go along is on your knees, but that was one of the best experiences I ever had. My mum had given me one of those funny furry hats with the ear flaps, but it had been so cold that I took it with me that day and was really pleased that I did! Me and the guide were virtually the only people on there that day – part of the road from Beijing had been blocked with snow for a few days so I suppose that had put people off.
The walk was quite tough going, but it was brilliant to get out in the open air (after I'd got used to the cold wind!), especially after the hot house temperatures in my hotel, and to be in such a remote spot on the planet. And it was beautiful – the wall snakes across the mountain tops as far as you can see – but you have to pay attention to where you put your feet, as some of the stones are loose and it could be a bit dangerous if you don't watch out – after all it is I don't know how many hundred years old, incredible how it is still standing, let alone visible from the moon. I was glad to have my guide with me, who was actually quite a nice girl and when she saw I wanted to be left to my own thoughts, just kept herself to herself unless I asked her something or take a photo of me. She told me some of the stories about when they built the wall, all the soldiers who spent their lives working on it – what would they have thought of my padded shoes and furry ear flaps and nice soft life?
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