The Great Wall 2 -- Jingchangling to Sumitai

Travelled to Jingchangling for less than a tour price, walked ao our own across 10km of the Great Wall to Sumitai as the sunset and people disappeared.









The wall is so vast, as far across misty mountains as I could see, over valleys and atop peaks, it's crumbling form was there. An incredible testament to human ingenuity and human anxiety. fear and simplicity. Not much has changed in 2000 years, just the means.
The wall to me was beautiful, ancient and solemn, dignified, honourable. To a Mongol invader, intimidating, impossible, a challenge? To a Chinese, security, invincibility, a declaration. How will its context change? And who will find it when we're all gone?

Great Wall of China 1--Badaling

Second day. Folks I met on the boat are taking a tour to a section of the great wall, just an hour or so out of Beijing. I want to go immediately, so I decide to join them. This is the reason I've come to China, that and it's between Japan and Nepal.
The great wall doesn't dissapoint, but the tour does. I start making a plan to head to another section of the wall on my own.