So put the Great Wall of China on the list of places I always thought it would be neat to see, but never really thought I’d make it to. Prior to going, China just felt like such a monumental place to try to go. It is basically on the other side of the planet from the US, there is a huge language barrier, and a culture that seems very foreign to our way of thinking… and while those things are true, it is definitely a doable destination.
The Great Wall itself does not disappoint in the least. Holly and I visited the Mutianyu section of the wall, which boasts being one of the more remote / less crowded sections of the wall, and the section of the wall with such a heavy concentration of towers in a given distance (turns out… they all boast that once you get there LOL) and it was absolutely stunning. The wall strings out like a snake over the mountain tops in either direction and is one of those places you almost have to pinch yourself to remind yourself that you’re really there. As a matter of fact, while Holly and I were standing on top of one of the towers taking in the view, an American girl was standing next to us saying out loud to herself “I’m totally here… I’m totally here”. It was quite comical, but a good reminder… we were totally there.
–Dan Thompson