Geoff Brock & Bruce Gamble
         
     

Day 15: The Great Wall

 
 
 

Sunday, 26th September 1999

Ming Tombs and The Great Wall.

   
 

The alarm call was at 6:30 today. I tried to walk to the shower and discovered that although my ankle was not swollen it was very stiff. Typical! Today we were meant to be walking along the Great Wall. I couldn't even walk to the toilet. At 8:00, we set off by coach for a 2 hour journey to the Ming Tombs. The weather was, for the first time, misty and drizzly.

 
We walked through an impressive gate and down a 1 km walk (or in my case, limp) way guarded by pairs of mythical and real stone animals, seated and standing, including lions, camels and elephants. Two of the mythological creatures apparently roared if any bad person passed in front of them, Francis said. We passed them nervously, in silence.
 
Back to the bus and on to the second section of the tombs there was a temple like structure in front of some tunnels. Very impressive. The gardens had some unusual oak trees and I collected some acorns. The trees have very large leaves and the acorns are encased in spiky shells. I managed to hobble to the top for the view.

Then to the Friendship Shop for lunch. The shop was the biggest and most expensive we had seen, and no-one was tempted to buy anything (except Ros, who offered to buy me a walking stick...) Francis recommended some Chinese medicine for my ankle, which I bought.

After lunch (very busy with dozens of other tourists) we got back on to the coach to take the long journey to the Great Wall. Very exciting journey over the mountains, with hairpin bends and wonderful views. The driver was excellent, taking it very easy, so that we could all enjoy it, and not fear our imminent death on a Chinese road.

An hour and a half later, someone shouted "There it is!" and indeed, we could see the wall with its watchtowers snaking over the skyline on top of the ridge of the hills, like a dragon with humps.

We stopped at a car park and some went to the loo. This was a pay loo, but the man there tried to extort Y5 (going rate is about one tenth of that). Simon just went in and went, the rest of us hopped outside uncomfortably. Liz to the rescue and we negotiated Y1.

We then ran the gauntlet of hawkers ringing bicycle bells and saying, "You come back - I remember you!" in a manner that seemed not a little threatening.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The gondola station was up a steep rugged path. Bruce valiantly helped me hobble up. We got on with June and John, and the car lurched away. The trip was only two minutes, but gave great views over the countryside. The wall was fantastic, striding away as far as the eye can see, always going along the ridge, the most difficult part to build. It was steadily drizzling now, and we could not get the really spectacular views, but nevertheless, it was very impressive. Again, the statistics are incredible - 2,000 (?) miles long and wide enough for ten men or five horses to walk abreast.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We looked around for a while, before descending in the cable car with Ros and Adrian. Again a sudden lurch, before dropping fast down to the valley below. Screams all round (well, not Adrian, of course). If I'd have wanted to go on a white knuckle ride...

Back through the gauntlet. Some of them did indeed remember us, but we did not succumb. (Guess who did - I'll give you a clue, the name begins with R).

Back to the coach and a quicker drive back to the hotel. We were back by 6:30, and just time for a shower and change before dinner in the hotel restaurant. The food was poor and the company was execrable. We had to share a table with one or two members of the group we had, up to now, managed to avoid dining with. Their greed in diving for more than their fair share of food and their boorish treatment of the serving staff and conversation made it very unpleasant.

Later on, I tried Francis' medicine. It had an immediate effect, and thereafter, my ankle was better.

 
 
 
©Geoff Brock and Bruce Gamble