Sunday Funday: Great Wall and Sanlitun Adventure

Today was by far my favorite day in Beijing so far. We visited the majestic Great Wall of China during the day and walked around Sanlitun to end our night. The weather was not as bad as yesterday, I was actually able to feel my hands and feet today. We took at the route in Mutianyu Great Wall and rode the chairlift up. There might not be any snow as I was used every chair lift I have been on but the view was still incredibly amazing on our way up. 

Chair Lift Up to the Great Wall

Once we were up in the great wall, we had a choice of either an easier route or a more challenging route. My group chose the easier route because it also had better lighting for taking photos. The uneven steps surprised me the most about the great wall. Some steps were so tiny, while others were giant. WIth my level of clumsiness, I was also surprised how I did not fall at all. 

The Majestic Great Wall of China

I was amazed with how beautiful the great wall still is even after all these years. It is hard to believe how much effort and work it took to build it. The wall was built to keep the Mongolians out and the slots are used to protect the soldiers shooting arrows. What I am unsure of is why there is slots on both sides of the wall. It would have made more sense to only have it on one side. This makes me wonder about the other uses of the great wall.  The sun was out during our trip giving us many good photoshoot opportunities. I took quite a few and sent it to my family back home. The best part of the trip was going down the wall. Before this trip, I did not do any research about the great wall at all. I was incomplete shock when I was told we can slide out way down. It was an extremely fun experience. I will be going back home to Seattle saying " I slide down the Great Wall of China". 

Sliding down the Great Wall

After exploring the great wall we had lunch. Then, we went shopping around the little shops. My shopping experience was not the best. I am not the best at bargaining, therefore I ended up paying a much higher price than everyone else. Additionally, the lady gave me a different shirt than what I ordered. I wanted two large shirts with Beijing on it. Yet, when I checked the bag in the bus I got a triple large and a small shirt with just a star on it. Moral of the story, check your bags before you leave and never shop alone. I should have sticked around with my group, they were able to bargain really well. It was not a pleasant experience, but definitely a good learning one. We got back to the hotel after our trip to the great wall. After an hour of rest, we then made our way to Sanlitun. We ate dinner at a Ramen restaurant then shopped around the area. Most of the stores were American brand, therefore, I ended up not buying anything. To end our night, we got some beer at the SlowBoat brewery. I may have been exhausted when we got bck to our hotel but the entire day was worth it. Sanlitun is such a lively place and even just walking around was a fun experience.

Late Night Trip to Sanlitun