The great wall..

I've just got back from trekking on the Great Wall of China and my legs ache! We set off at some ridiculously early time this morning to travel the 3 hours by mini-bus to the Simatai section of the Great Wall of China.

I was pleased to find out that I wasn't the only person on the tour today and there were two others, a couple originally from Holland, now living on an island just off Venezuela - their English was spot on perfect and the man looked, acted like, and spoke exactly like a slightly younger version of John Cleese! It gave me someone that I could have a full conversation in English with at long last!

The wall was fantastic, extremely steep in places and crumbling in spots - the weather has been a bit misty again but I think I've managed to get a few good photos.

One of the things you will find in Beijing is locals trying to sell you things stood loitering outside any main tourist area/monument. They are pretty hard to shake off and even by saying "bù ya" - i.e. No! or shaking your head they just follow and follow asking you to buy and look at whatever they are selling. I'm getting used to it by now and getting quite good at telling them to go away (or haggling and getting goods for less than half price ;-)) but the other couple that were on the tour only flew in yesterday. I warned them of this when we were in the mini-bus on the way up as they were planning on doing some sight-seeing over the next few days and didn't for one minute think there would be anybody harassing us in a such a remote place as Simatai - I was wrong!

As soon as we got off the mini-bus and started walking there were people on the roadside with an assortment of souvenirs - even the official Beijing 2008 olympic t-shirts (apparently!). A few followed us all the way up - pretending not to want to sell us anything, just talking to us - I had to laugh as I knew exactly what they were up to - befriend us, tell us how poor they are and then at the end get us to buy whatever souvenirs they have... I was right - although it didn't even take that long! When we got to a resting point on the way back down the books, t-shirts, postcards, pictures came out of nowhere from within their bags and they tried selling us things - funnily enough they bypassed me as they thought I was the son of the couple that went up with us and when straight for them - makes a change not to be the one being harassed! They swore blind on the way up they wouldn't buy anything - yet when the sob stories came out they gave in - I knew it would happen and had to laugh - they will have to get stronger willed than that over the next few days otherwise they will end up spending a fortune in Beijing!

Anyway, today is my last full day here - I have to try and find Beijing City Airport again tomorrow and get the internal flight to Yantai where the school is. Hopefully Jack Liu the volunteer coordinator is picking me up from the airport in Yantai - it could be fun if he doesn't show as I don't have a clue where I'm going! I'll post again when I get there.

zài jiàn! (Bye!)