"You are not yet a HERO if you have not been up on the Great Wall of China." If you haven't heard of this saying, you haven't been to China :-)

The Great Wall of China really lives up to its name. After a few days of trying to make sense of Beijing’s chaos, the sight of pale stone snaking over the mountains to the horizon definitely renewed my spirit. There are three famous great walls in Beijing. Badaling has the most historical stories to tell. Mutianyu has the best scenery for the different seasons. And Juyongguan has more difficulties for climbing. I visited Juyongguan not knowing exactly first hand what each site had to offer. Very crowded from the start but the higher you are climbing the less people you will see. I was actually beginning to appreciate the slow season although the weather was cold as hell. If there was this many people during slow season, I wonder how it could be during peak. You will see some souvenir stalls but not overpowering nor pushy...nice touch!

We have read about The Great Wall of China in books. We have watched it on TV. Nothing beats climbing each step, sucking in the cold icy air and experiencing the hardship :-) Just imagine how it was built in Qin dynasty and well maintained after more than a thousand years until today. How many soldiers were killed and sacrificed. Those all happened under my feet, the platforms, the towers. And this is Juyongguan, the place that you must not miss when you are in Beijing. Being able to check off another wonder of the world from my list is absolutely a blessing!

And whats the antidode for a hard day of climbing? 90 minute in-room fulll body massage and reflexology!

Its hard to believe you can get this kind of service for only $30. Well don't believe it! Don't expect your toes to be dipped in rose water...try a straight up plastic grocery bag. WTF...color me awkward! I guess it's true what you pay for is really what you get in China :-)

Beijing 11/16/12