Day 4
The Mutianyu Great Wall
I was picked up from my hotel at 10:40 in the morning. It was a little strange being picked up so late, but it wasn't a full day tour either..
Anyway, once I got on the bus I found out that the tour company added a load of people to the tour just that morning and we had to stop at seven different hotels all around Beijing. No one was happy. Instead of having a couple buses pick up people and then consolidate somewhere else, they left it all to one bus.
Needless to say this took off a lot of our time from the Great Wall. After being on the bus for hours picking up people, we first had to stop for another "forced shopping" tour. Cherry, who suprised me with being on the trip, and I were not pleased.
We finally arrived at the Mutianyu Great Wall around 2:30. OH MY GOD!! Because of the time we spent on the forced shopping tour and picking up a load of people that wasn't timed properly, we ended up with just over an hour and a half actually on the Great Wall. Mind you, I paid for a half day.
We spent the money to take a cable car up to the wall rather than hike it (more time taken away from seeing the Great Wall otherwise). The sights on the Great Wall were spectacular. I was really bummed that I didn't get to spend more time there, but at least I did get to spend some time there and the weather was great.
I met another nice couple on the Wall (and bus ride) named Treasure and Vidant. I hiked mostly with them around the top. I was so relieved and glad that the weather was beautiful and that I decided earlier to see two different sections of the Great Wall.
After hiking around for a bit, we needed to head back down and catch our bus. I met Cherry and her husband below. Somehow, they had lost their camera on the way back. :( Cherry told me that just means she'll have to go back when her husband is there on business again.. Lucky her. I'd love to go again (just not with the same tour company). :)
Anyway, I convinced Treasure to go with me to do the Famous Peking Duck dinner. Vidant couldn't eat with us 'cause he doesn't eat meat. Our guide told us where to go and -wouldn't you know it?-- it was on Wangfujing Street.
We had a wonderful dinner (I had a brain fart :( and forgot to take pictures). Thankfully, because we were foreigners, they showed us how to put the sauce on the duck and wrap the duck meat in the crepe thingy. It was absolutely delicious! After dinner and chatting for awhile, we met Vidant after dinner and walked around Wangfujing Street, again.
Taking the whole tour screw up with timing aside, it was a great day.
I was picked up from my hotel at 10:40 in the morning. It was a little strange being picked up so late, but it wasn't a full day tour either..
Anyway, once I got on the bus I found out that the tour company added a load of people to the tour just that morning and we had to stop at seven different hotels all around Beijing. No one was happy. Instead of having a couple buses pick up people and then consolidate somewhere else, they left it all to one bus.
Needless to say this took off a lot of our time from the Great Wall. After being on the bus for hours picking up people, we first had to stop for another "forced shopping" tour. Cherry, who suprised me with being on the trip, and I were not pleased.
We finally arrived at the Mutianyu Great Wall around 2:30. OH MY GOD!! Because of the time we spent on the forced shopping tour and picking up a load of people that wasn't timed properly, we ended up with just over an hour and a half actually on the Great Wall. Mind you, I paid for a half day.
We spent the money to take a cable car up to the wall rather than hike it (more time taken away from seeing the Great Wall otherwise). The sights on the Great Wall were spectacular. I was really bummed that I didn't get to spend more time there, but at least I did get to spend some time there and the weather was great.
I met another nice couple on the Wall (and bus ride) named Treasure and Vidant. I hiked mostly with them around the top. I was so relieved and glad that the weather was beautiful and that I decided earlier to see two different sections of the Great Wall.
After hiking around for a bit, we needed to head back down and catch our bus. I met Cherry and her husband below. Somehow, they had lost their camera on the way back. :( Cherry told me that just means she'll have to go back when her husband is there on business again.. Lucky her. I'd love to go again (just not with the same tour company). :)
Anyway, I convinced Treasure to go with me to do the Famous Peking Duck dinner. Vidant couldn't eat with us 'cause he doesn't eat meat. Our guide told us where to go and -wouldn't you know it?-- it was on Wangfujing Street.
We had a wonderful dinner (I had a brain fart :( and forgot to take pictures). Thankfully, because we were foreigners, they showed us how to put the sauce on the duck and wrap the duck meat in the crepe thingy. It was absolutely delicious! After dinner and chatting for awhile, we met Vidant after dinner and walked around Wangfujing Street, again.
Taking the whole tour screw up with timing aside, it was a great day.
posted by Amanda at
7:24 AM
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