Jon's roommate Dave (aka The Man), told us of an area of the wall that has not yet and most likely never will been renovated. It exists on a plot of land that belongs to a farming family. At a small fee, you can use their man-made trails that lead to the Great Wall and also be served a traditional style lunch. We were obviously very interested, so Dave called the Farmer and arranged our arrival (all in Mandarin). This turned out to be the highlight of our trip. Thanks again Dave!
After taking a taxi to a bus station, followed by a bus to a small town outside Beijing, and finally a personal driver to the farm.....we were out in the country.
Tour guide = 109 year old man that doesn't say a word
Trail gets steep
The wall appeared out of nowhere
I think FEMA was here
Carillo being Carillo
The hike down was somewhat brutal. Agnew, Cameron, and all other Washingtonians would have been proud.
Lunch time
This poster is in the 1st floor elevator lobby of Jon's building. It is promoting the importance of youth education as means of boosting national defense. It's the one right above the fabric softener advertisement.
Beijing Airport's new terminal. Fun to look at.
