Bei Jing you little ....

Greetings. I sit with strained calves (not of the cow description) after tackling the Great Wall yesterday. I decided to throw myself into the climb leaving less than 10 hours after I arrived into Beijing. I ended up at a part of the wall which remains vacant from the hoards of tourists. I would estimate that the total number of camera carriers totaled no more than 50 in the 4 hours I was trying to envisage how the climb would be if I was fitter. Must cut back on the Double Cranes. Quite incredible really. Why would you venture to any other part of the wall? Anyway, very picturesque. Exactly how one would imagine it. The rolling bricked wall framed amongst an ink painting backdrop. A sleepy dragon about to erupt. It had actually snowed during the past night and traces of stubborn snow were still visible in the shade of the steps. It was about 2 degrees on arrival but during the day managed to break into a sweltering 16 degrees - maybe that was due to my level of fitness.

He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a True Man - Mao Zedong

Great Wall hold back disaster comfort me - Boom Crash Opera