"Now All of China Knows You're Here."

On Saturday, November 25th, a month after my bridge photography adventure, I boarded an overnight train on my way to the inevitable, the inimical, the indomitable: The Great Wall of China.

I spent most of the train ride sleeping (or attempting to), but as we approached the outskirts of the city and the Sunday dawn was rising, my fellow passengers realized I spoke Chinese, so I had to make conversation. They had spent the entire ride believing I didn't, which, frankly, was how I preferred it. Most people in China are perfectly content to observe the urban rule of companionable silence, but some people crack when they're confronted with an obvious foreigner, haha.

Anyway, after escaping the pleasantries, I explored the Beijing subway for a while and found my hostel. It was in one of the walled residential districts (called xiaoqu), so I was a little confused, but I ultimately got there! Unfortunately, as I had taken the overnight train, it was too early for me to check in. Luckily, I could drop my bags at the front desk! I changed clothes quickly, took my camera bag, and headed out.

The biggest problem was that it was late November, and in the northern reaches of China......that's winter. I was instantly freezing nearly any time I stepped foot out of doors. I was fresh from the balmy southern tropics, and didn't even have heavy winter clothes to bring with me. Ah, alas.

I took the metro to the farthest bus station, took the bus to the farthest town still considered part of Beijing, and then got a taxi to the Great Wall! (A tip: if you do not speak Chinese, do not do this. Frankly, even if you do speak Chinese, do not do this. Pretty much any hostel or hotel you choose to stay at in Beijing will have group Wall tours, and they will very likely be cheaper than the taxi driver who I later learned absolutely fleeced me. But! Personalized service, and all that. Plus he was a great conversationalist, so I had a good time.)

I hiked the section called Jin Shan Ling

The first thing I did was use quite literally the last of my phone battery taking this video....oops.....
so I spent the rest of the hike without a phone lol

These photos don't do the view justice AT ALL, but I hope they can convey some of my giddy delight about the fact that the wall is REAL! And I STOOD ON IT!

There is nothing like this view in full 360 degrees with the wind chilling your nose.

The climb to the top of the wall itself was FRIGID because it was all in shadow, but once I was up in the sunlight, it was quite comfortable.

Also, the wall literally runs along the tops of mountains, so all the stairs look like this.

But again, and I have to emphasize this, THE VIEW:

This was lunch haha
Periodically I'd encounter these little rest stops that sold packaged food and hot drinks, which honestly, if you have to work in sales, could you ask for a better environment?

One of the former watchtowers/forts, left mostly in disrepair. Other sections of the wall are kept maintained for tourists, but Jin Shan Ling is partly a "wild" trail.

Just, uh, just in case you forgot about the mountains.

idk maybe they shot arrows through here? snow melt? love it though

yeah it's nbd

I'm just trying to capture the sense of BIG SKY you get standing on mountain after mountain after mountain.

A trace of modernity!

We're ✈️going!

I LIED IT'S SUCH A HUGE DEAL AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

(previous picture minus me) (also vertical)

Are you seeing those tiny specs along the left side? Yeah that's the wall!!!

Alright now indulge me and my macro photography looking at the ~effects of time and nature on what man has wrought~

Framing device

Another watchtower!

Look at these li'l guys :')

Keep going? O👌K

春游长城 - Spring Vacation at the Great Wall!

I love the sharp shadows you get in winter...There was practically no one else on the wall with me because this is off-off season, but it's still so beautiful.

I CLIMBED ALL THOSE STAIRS AND I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE IT.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW STEEP IT IS?

Shadow selfies for encouragement.

AGAIN DO YOU SEE HOW STEEP

A breath of fresh air at the top (not that every breath of this air wasn't already devastatingly fresh anyway!!!)

me too, buddy

did it tho

We approach the dismount!!!

Now, my taxi driver had some arrangement with a old woman who lived near the wall and made her living selling overpriced souvenirs to tourists. They were both waiting for me at the final tower, and the little old woman offered to take pictures of me when she realized I was alone!

straight cheesin'

OH, TO BE ABLE TO FLY OVER THIS PLACE FOR REAL--

Anyway I made nice and chatted with her as I descended the wall. It was actually a great conversation, talking about class prejudice in China (she's often treated poorly by Chinese tourists because she's from a poor family), and so she really likes foreigners. Of course, she also liked the money I spent, but that's capitalism.

The taxi driver was very attentive and told me to rely on him if I ever came back to the Great Wall, but.....I think I lost his contact information. He took me back to the bus station, where I almost didn't have proper change for the bus! The sun had gone down, and I was shivering like a madwoman as I ran to the nearby food stall and bought an egg pancake (jianbing) that was both delicious and warm, broke my 100 yuan bill into pieces small enough to pay the bus fare, and got on. Whew!

Food has never tasted this good 😭

And that's all folks! I made it back to the hostel, checked in properly, and CRASHED.