Before this trip, I saw some discussions on Trip Advisor about private drivers to Great Wall. It had positive reviews, so we decided to hire them.
Blueberry and I were glad we did that. đ
On Day 2, we woke up at 6.30am.
We had to get ready before the driver reaches at 7.30am…
We reached Mutianyu Great Wall around 8.45am.
The roadside stores were opening for the day.. it was quiet.
Roadside stores.. Where’s everyone?
Other than me and Blueberry, there were another 2 tourists there..
“Where’s everyone?” I wondered… đŽ
No queue at the ticketing counter..
Our driver helped to buy the entrance, chairlift and toboggan tickets.. he waited for us at the carpark, as we did our stuff.
I decided to take the chairlift, because I wasn’t keen to climb 4000 steps to get to the peak..
Blueberry is wearing transition lens.. his lens turned dark from the UV..
It was glaring.. the UV levels must be quite high.
I wanted to put on my sunglasses, but I was worried I might accidentally drop it.
Putting on a brave font..
When I was a kid… my father would bring my sisters and I to the funfair.. I would begged my father let us take the Ferris wheel or chairlift rides (anything that would bring us to great heights).
it wasn’t because I loved heights.
I got a kick out of seeing my sisters being terrified.. at my own expense.
Unknown to my family, I am not scared of heights.
Toboggan tracks.. one of the options to descend..
Almost reaching…
The 10 minute ride was indeed an energy saver.. it also turned out to be the most exhilarating ride of our trip.
As we ascended beyond the sub-canopy, the cables started squeaking.. our chairlift would tremble in the occasional passing breeze.
Just as we were trying not to think the worst, our chairlift jerked to a halt suddenly.
we froze in our seats.
Iamnotafraid.. Iamnotafraid.. Iamnotafraid
We were suspended in midair for a minute, before the ride resuming the ride.
Shortly later, we reached the peak.
My legs were numb from fear.. but I managed to walk normally, without looking like a running penguin. đ
Finally… The Great Wall of China.
We were glad we came to Mutianyu early.. there weren’t a lot of visitors, which made it easy to capture several picturesque shots.
Touristy shot #1
Touristy shot #2
The wall was taller than trees…
We weren’t sure how far to hike, so we went wherever we wanted to go… it was hard to stop, when the views are so beautiful.
We hiked to the top of a watchtower..
Blue skies… a rare day in Beijing.
We were amazed to find the pollution levels decreased, when we visited Beijing.
Mrs Obama was visiting Beijing the same week too.. I wonder if this is the reason.. if it is, I’m grateful to have benefited from the Obamas indirectly. đ
Later, we went to see the inside of the watchtower..
Inside the watchtower
spacious inside.. dark and gloomy, not much sunlight can come in.
The view from inside the watchtowerÂ
Peek a Boo
The walls were filled with scribbles left from previous visitors.
Blueberry and I decided to leave our mark too.
Thank you, Great Wall of China.. I’m glad to be able to visit you in this lifetime.
We hiked back to where we came from..
.. last few pictures before we went off.
Touristy shot #3
Touristy shot #4
Touristy shot #5
Then, it was Toboggan Time!
The toboggan wasn’t ready when we reached.. I think we were very early.
We waited for the staff to get ready..
Starting point
1… 2… 3… off they went!
The staff took the toboggans to their stations.
Soon after, it was my turn…
YAY!
Beware: Speed Queen on the loose.
The Toboggan was thrilling!
I’m so happy that I could unleash the speed demon within me.. without getting a speeding ticket. Ha!
As we were exiting, we got a nasty shock..
There were massive crowds of visitors!! I think they came by buses.. đŽ
Posing with the entrance, before leaving the place..
I wanted to post a picture of me standing next to the crowds.. but it didn’t turn out flattering, bcos I was squinting in the sunshine. Ops.
Blueberry and I had an awesome time at Mutianyu Great Wall.
We’re very fortunate we had the chance to visit one of the wonders of the world.. I think we will never forgot this day.
If people ask me if the Great Wall was great, I would tell them..
“Yes, it is great indeed”. đ
Raspberry's Daydreams 