(By Darja Tretjakova, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences)
After waking up at five o’clock in the morning we loaded ourselves onto the bus and started off in the direction of the Great Wall of China. I was pretty excited about the trip, as the Wall was on top of my “to see” list. I believe we were getting close to Jinsangling when we decided to have breakfast. After about a quarter of an hour of mime and Chinglish at a local restaurant we got some decent food (and a share of shock after seeing the rural toilets) and continued our journey to the Wall.
No matter how many pictures of the wall one has seen, not a single one beats the experience of actually standing on the real thing, embracing the ancient scent, imagining the effort that went into this immense structure that mostly failed to perform its function.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Ours was only twelve kilometers and it began with an attempt to get rid of the Mongolian vendors who tried to sell you everything from water and t-shirts to cola and books. The effort was unsuccessful; every tower housed one or two vendors who practically jumped right at you with iced water in their hands.
Parts of the wall have recently been renovated; some are still crumbling under your feet. The renovations have made life easier for tourists, yet have killed some of the walls authenticity. This particular part of the wall which we visited is divided between two provinces, both trying to make some money off it. You have to pay to get on the wall, but after about eleven kilometers up the longest wall in the world, Chinese man blocks your way, demanding to pay him to go further. So you think that was it, when you arrive to a point where the wall is dissected by a river. Here, another Chinese man insists on paying him to walk over the bridge, or otherwise swim your way to the other side.
Finally, sweaty, tired, (bankrupt) and satisfied we enjoyed a beer at the foot of the Great Wall of China.
