Great Wall Mutianyu
Another Saturday afternoon, and for our family, that has frequently meant a visit to one of the many locations of the Great Wall. We decided to try again to get to Mutianyu, this time with maps and GPS to help. Randy found a route that we believed would be easy to follow. Perhaps not the fastest, but a beautiful and simple route. Most of the way we followed the canal.
If it were seven in the morning this mist would have been lovely and welcome. However, it was nearly eleven, and so we knew that our day would be under a thick veil of fog.
We arrived at Mutianyu just in time for lunch. When Randy researched a few options he saw that a place called the Roadhouse was open for lunch. Like how I used the word researched when I really meant Googled?
The food was outstanding. This restaurant caters mostly to foreign tourists, but sometimes, what's wrong with that? We ate outstanding, fresh Chinese food that was pricier than what we are used to paying for local food, but still much less than we would pay for Western food.
We devoured this eggplant dish.
After lunch it was time to go to the Great Wall. This particular section dates originally to the late 14th century. Normally, (foreign) tourists buy a ticket for the cable car that goes up the mountain and then ride the toboggan chute back down. Unlike other sections of the Wall we've already visited, this part does not guard a pass but rather goes along a ridge. Our shared fear of heights led us to choose not to buy tickets for the cable car and we thought the toboggan would be too dangerous to take with the baby. So, underestimating the climb ahead of us, we began to walk up the mountain.
Any time we'd stop for a break, a crowd would form around the little foreign kids.
It was a grueling climb, especially for Randy carrying Brigid. However, once we made it, the Wall was our reward. It was a really foggy day, so our views (and pictures) were not phenomenal, but we will go back.
It was such a foggy day. I know we'll be back on a clear day. I think this might be my favorite part so far, even though Badaling does have a Starbucks. Next time we will definitely take the cable car up.
If it were seven in the morning this mist would have been lovely and welcome. However, it was nearly eleven, and so we knew that our day would be under a thick veil of fog.
We arrived at Mutianyu just in time for lunch. When Randy researched a few options he saw that a place called the Roadhouse was open for lunch. Like how I used the word researched when I really meant Googled?
The food was outstanding. This restaurant caters mostly to foreign tourists, but sometimes, what's wrong with that? We ate outstanding, fresh Chinese food that was pricier than what we are used to paying for local food, but still much less than we would pay for Western food.
We devoured this eggplant dish.
After lunch it was time to go to the Great Wall. This particular section dates originally to the late 14th century. Normally, (foreign) tourists buy a ticket for the cable car that goes up the mountain and then ride the toboggan chute back down. Unlike other sections of the Wall we've already visited, this part does not guard a pass but rather goes along a ridge. Our shared fear of heights led us to choose not to buy tickets for the cable car and we thought the toboggan would be too dangerous to take with the baby. So, underestimating the climb ahead of us, we began to walk up the mountain.
Any time we'd stop for a break, a crowd would form around the little foreign kids.
It was a grueling climb, especially for Randy carrying Brigid. However, once we made it, the Wall was our reward. It was a really foggy day, so our views (and pictures) were not phenomenal, but we will go back.
It was such a foggy day. I know we'll be back on a clear day. I think this might be my favorite part so far, even though Badaling does have a Starbucks. Next time we will definitely take the cable car up.
Comments
this is my favorite part. I remember that we took the cable car both up and back because we had two little children so it was safer that way. we also brought our umbrella stroller up on this part of the wall so my youngest could rest when she wanted to. It worked out surprisingly enough.
Becky