Foto: The long stretch of the Great Wall of China (bron: Rita van der Veer)
China - To avoid the large tourist groups, I don’t go to Badaling but to the town of Mutianyu. Badaling is closest to Beijing and thus attracts many tourists. I also start my journey before seven o’clock. At this early hour, the streets of Beijing are already busy. I can imagine traffic completely gridlocks here within an hour during the morning rush. I try to sleep a bit—unsuccessfully. At half past eight, I arrive at Mutianyu at the Great Wall. Fortunately, it’s dry. The souvenir sellers are just opening their stalls. To see the famous Great Wall, I first have to make a twenty-minute climb. I could take the cable car, but I don’t think that fits the environment. I soon regret this. The climb is tougher than I expected. It’s humid and warm. Halfway up, I decide to slow my pace. At a much calmer tempo, I continue climbing. When I take the last corner, I see the contours of the wall. Impressive! Walking through the gate, I’m truly standing on the world-famous Great Wall. Wow! Because of the early hour, I’m practically alone on the wall. I decide to walk a stretch along the wall, turning left. It’s misty. The view is limited to about fifty meters. Occasionally, the clouds clear a bit, and I see the wall winding through the landscape. The Great Wall follows the hilly terrain, meaning I have to climb and descend quite a bit to follow the route. Sometimes it’s also treacherously slippery. I walk from watchtower to watchtower for over an hour. At watchtower number six, I buy a ticket for the toboggan ride. Although it obviously doesn’t fit the historic setting, I get into the toboggan cart. The operation is simple. To move forward, I push the handle in front of me forward; to brake, I release it. I’m told by gestures to lean with the turns. I start my ride.
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