The entire trip was worth it, even if it was just today. The Great Wall was amazing. Every person with a remote interest in China needs to see the Great Wall. However when we were riding on the bus there (during rush hour again) we made a last minute diversion to a different part of the wall. A part that we were told would be less crowded and more beautiful, but farther away. It was worth the wait.
We started at the bottom of a mountain in a small village, with the wall barely visible at the peaks of the mountains due to its distance from us and the smog. I could again tell the air was lighter, but the smog was still definitely around. It was impossible to see more than a mile or two in any direction, which was a real shame, as it later inhibited what surely would have been breathtaking views. We worked our way through the village and began to climb the stair that led up to the Great Wall. One of us asked hold long it would take, and we were told it would take one hour. A few people had worn sandals, and decided that it would be best to take the cable car up to the top. The rest of us marched on.
About halfway up I was reminded that I was having serious back pain. As it turns out, climbing stairs with a backpack on in the hot sun at a high altitude while having back trouble is not a good idea. Oops. By the time we made it to the top, I could feel the swelling in my lower spine and I was sweating bullets and having difficulty breathing. The lack of oxygen due to the altitude did not help matters. I am by no means out of shape either, I kept up with tennis and working out and I thought I would be fine. I was wrong.
I bought water at the top of the wall (which was way more expensive than water at the bottom) and started to recover a little bit. I did not let this set back hold me back from enjoying my time there though, and I took in the breathtaking sights nonetheless. One of the first things I noticed when we reached the top was just how strange the top of the wall looked. One thing that Chinese did not have at the time was apparently a level. The whole thing twisted, turned, and rocked as it snaked its way across the peak. It stretched off into the distance in both directions and was absolutely breathtaking (figuratively of course because I couldn’t spare any breath at the time).
The best part was when we got to a guard house. It was so cool and shady inside that I rested there for 10 minutes or so before leaving again. The views could still be enjoyed from the openings and viewports from the structure, but without the ridiculous sun.
After we finished at the top, we took the cable car back down, thank goodness. The view of the village from the cable car was also well worth the 50 Yuan to get on. Once we got down into the village we shopped until we had to return to the bus. I bought a lot and paid too much. I’m terrible at bargaining. The entire idea just seems unfair and ridiculous. The idea is that a person has to bargain their way to a fair price. I’m too nice and always started too high, which made it quick and easy, but cost me a lot of money. I can’t wait to go back to the United States and just buy something without any hassle. It seems like a terrible business model, but any vendor who sets fair prices will only be driven down to prices that are unfair for the vendor because people will bargain. I don’t know if that cycle is escapable without government regulation, but I highly doubt anyone’s going to be stepping in to that mess of a system.