They say the world is shrinking and it is, in respect of the ease of world travel. Holiday makers want to travel to the more remote outposts of the world and journey travel is increasingly popular. When I used to be a child, I dreamt of visiting the Far East and the Great Wall China, particularly. China held a fascination for me but I never dreamt that I'd basically get there one day.
My husband and I chose to save up and go on the holiday of a life-time. We've got a friend who lives and works in Japan who speaks Chinese Mandarin fluently, having studied the language at Beijing University and in addition has worked in Taiwan. The plan was to visit our friend in Tokyo and see a bit of Japan. Then we flew to HK to spend a while there and then onto China. Our chum went with us, which made the trip a lot more fun and much easier, having somebody to translate for us.
Beijing is an entrancing place and we probably did the usual sightseeing, including exploring the banned Palace and Tinnamen Square. One of the striking things is the quantity of cars in the town and the background noise of tooting automobile horns. Then came the time to ski the coach to take us to the Great Wall China. We had read as much about it as we could but nothing actually prepares you for it.
I was determined to walk the wall, a portion of it anyhow, as it stretches over 4,000 miles! When we arrived, it was extremely busy, generally with Chinese people and one or two foreigners spattered here and there. We walked one of the most well liked stages of the Great Wall China. It is divided into watchtowers, gateways and old barracks, some sections all the way back to the 5th century. The longest human made construction in the world surpassed all expectancies.
Remarkably our chum, who has one leg, had walked the wall before and this was his 2nd visit. He jumped in front of me, on his crutches and disappeared into the distance! It was the hardest thing i have ever done and I was nearly at quitting point often but I persevered and completed my section. The Great Wall China steps are really steep in places and it takes every ounce of energy to climb them. There are several sellers there, selling clothing, post cards and other keepsakes. I proudly bought my I Climbed the Great Wall T-shirt, which I continue to wear today. Experiencing the Great Wall China was truly remarkable and I might endorse it to everyone. Go to the gym first and get fit first, which is what I should have done but didn't!
Do you love to see the world? Want to see some of the best places in the world? Visit famouswonders.com to get an idea of where to go for your next vacation. Make sure to also check out Three Gorges Dam in China.
