The Great Wall of China

  I wish I could say that we took the time & camera to take amazing, breathtaking photos of The Great Wall while we visited but we didn't. We just enjoyed our walk along the wall, relatively people free. We hiked, climbed into windows, scurried up and down stairs, and laughed. We just enjoyed our time. It was good.   We spent a weekend in Beijing exploring the Hutongs, Lotus Lake & took a day trip out to the Great Wall. I made sure to do my research & picked a section of the wall that was less popular with Chinese tourists, therefore way less crowded. We chose to go to the Mutianyu section of the wall which is still one of the most popular sections among foreign tourists but if planned right, you can go at a time of year & day where you'll still have a lovely, crowd free time. I don't think this will be true for long, though. When we pulled up to the parking lots, where you start your hike to catch the lift, they were in the process of building a big tourist trap outdoor mall with a Pizza Hut and Burger King included. Thankfully, it was still in the process of being built, so we could enjoy our time w/ only a small crowd.    If you've seen the pictures of the more popular spots, filled with people, you'll understand why it's worth doing your research & finding a less popular section or waking up super early to go.   Below are the shots we did manage to capture. Enjoy! :)     The Great Wall stretches an amazing 13,170.7 miles long, is more than 2,300 years old & crosses over 9 Chinese provinces and municipalities. In December 1987, just a year after my birth, it was named by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.   We packed some snacks for our hike & enjoyed climbing in to the huge "window sills" to sit & enjoy our snacks. I couldn't help but think back to all of those years ago when they were first built & about all the years that have passed & feet that have trod over it since. 
  Have you been to the Great Wall? What did you think? Let me know below!