Day 420 Simatai Great Wall

My school is really an amazing place to work.  In addition to all of the perks we receive (paid housing, airfare, classroom 'decorations' fund, free coffee card, free lunch card which includes shopping at the convenience store on campus, getting spending money to attend school field trips, being issued an Ipad, laptop, external memory hard drive, Apple TV, and receiving regular 'gifts' from administration, etc.) they also plan periodic trips for the faculty members and their families. Today the school visited the Wetlands Park.  I did not attend because I am still under the weather.

Last weekend, though, they took three busloads of us to Simatai Great Wall.  It was a gorgeous fall day, and it is now second on my "Top Five" things to see or do in and around Beijing.  It was a good 2.5 hour bus ride (comfortable motor coaches, no less!), and it was OH. SO. WORTH. IT.  I cannot wait to go back again, and I do not like visiting the same sections of the Great Wall twice.  I've become a bit of a Great Wall snob in my stay here in Beijing.  I am not a fan of the restored 'touristy' sections, and I prefer the natural sections. However, this place was absolutely gorgeous.  I've convinced Hank that he must bring his wife Luciane here for a romantic weekend when she comes to visit this spring.

Getting three buses of Chinese staff and
all of their dependents together was like
herding cats in the military.  head counts,
whistles, and hurry up and wait! Rob,
Hank, Zach (a teacher friend's son) and I
were the only Westerners along for the ride.

We had no idea what beauty awaited us
just beyond this gate :)

This is Beijing Wtown, which is a UNESCO
World Cultural Heritage Site, rated in the top
25 of global scenery to not be missed.

The village had a series of canals that you could
take a boat ride through the 9 square km village.

It actually is three ancient villages that have
been restored, and they all sit at the base
of the Simatai Great Wall in Miyun County
in northern Beijing. The villages and this
section of the Wall date from the more recent
Ming and Qing dynasties, 1368-1800.

At every turn, there was something beautiful to see.

I was snap happy snapping photos!

Took this pic of Rob taking a pic of
"Zhenyuan Escort Agency".  I guess every
little village needs escorts?
Or maybe just Rob needs an escort? BOYZ.

And I will never pass up a door..
anywhere in the world. 

I mean never. ever.  I want it to share it's rich
history with me...who has passed through this door?

There were very few Western faces, as per usual, so they
were snapping photos of us, as per usual!  Some try to be
so sly and sneaky about it.  I would catch them, and
just started photobombing every person I saw as we
walked through the village.  Zach got in on the act; and
he thought it was great fun :) Crazy laoweis!

The village opened up to a large courtyard...

Where there was some sort of performance happening.

There really was something beautiful to see everywhere you looked.

As we made our way through the village, it finally became clear
where we were going..... UP THERE to the Simatai Great Wall.
We were suddenly thinking that maybe we should have bought
the cable car ride going UP, rather than going down!

We found the path, and started the climb.  Note that I still
look relatively fresh in this picture, lol

What a view :)

We finally made it to the Wall, and starting
climbing even further up to the first watch tower.  

Because it is not fully restored, they limit the
number of hikers per day.  Parts of it are quite
crumbled and treacherous.  Sometimes I was
on all fours, hands over feet, and once I was
clinging to a chain, as the path was less then
two feet wide with a vertical drop straight down!

And still, up we climbed...

We did over 986 vertical meters in all- whew!

But, Oh. My. God.  Look at that view!!!

We ate. it. up!!!

I mean, we were up there; look how far up we climbed :)

The vista was amazing...a beautiful blue sky, clean air, fall day.

Through nine watch towers, and up to the highest point.  I was
a little wilted, and winded, and a bit shaky, but I was still
The. Happiest. Girl. In. China :)))

Me and my hiking buddy, Hank-
and a fellow Hoosier. My face was
as red as my BSU Tshirt, lol.

While the guys hiked to the last tower (it
was a dead end- I didn't see the point, lol)...

I watched a group of Chinese coming up the last tower,
and this woman made the entire climb carrying a
hand blown sugar serpent.  Because why???

After the boys came back from the final climb, we then
caught the cable car for a quick ride back down to the village.

It really was a picture perfect day.

We worked up quite the appetite, so we stopped for a snack.

This was our view as the boys enjoyed a cold beer (not the little boy:).

As we came through the village, we saw all of these Chinese
with their feet in a fountain.  The water was HOT!

I hesitated all of 2.3 seconds, and my shoes were off and my feet were in!

Zach tried to put his whole big self in :)

I swear, after just 10 minutes in the hot springs,
when I put my hiking shoes back on, I felt like
I was good to go for another 10km.  

As we took different side streets back through
the village, I was snap happy once again.

So many cool things to see, hear, taste,
and touch....I was loving living in the moment.

So beautiful.

Happiest girl in China right there!

G'nite, y'all!