The Great Wall of China

After 2 sea days and a 3 hour bus trip, we made it!

The part of the wall that we saw was a reconstruction, as is the rest of the wall, but it is in the same place and built in the same way as the originals--earthquakes did them in. It is just like in the pictures--about 2 stories high, wide enough for 8 people to walk side by side, and very steep. It is either like a ramp on top, or with stairs that are either about 3 inches high or about 18 inches high--walking was not easy. There are water drains across the walking part every 30 feet or so as well that you have to avoid! There are towers placed for defence that are about 4 stories high, with a very steep--75 degrees or so--and narrow stairway to get up to the roof. Other towers were placed on higher peaks for signal smoke, messages about how many troops were coming from Mongolia. And they also had one of the major encampments built into the wall--sort of a walled-city-like place--complete with temples, a hotel (now!) and disgracefully, a ferris wheel (now!)

Lunch was sort of Chinese food, sanitized for westerners, including french fries and beer. Another 3 hour bus ride back to the ship.

Some of the roads were narrow and twisty, but the majority were 4 lane or more, with interchanges and the like. Just like being in California, road-wise and agriculture wise too--flat plains with canals and irrigated crops.

The smog here is terrible. We don't know how people stand it. This morning, you could see about 2000 feet before stuff just disappeared into browny-grey. (We know this, because there were 2 cruise ships parked, and you basically couldn't see the back end of the second one...) It smelled and tasted like chemical crap. Fortunately, there was some rain in the afternoon that washed some away, but it was still bad.

Tomorrow is Dalian, with the promise of some Chinese Kites if the weather is OK.