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They are saying the world is shrinking and it is, in respect of the ease of world travel.  Tourists want to travel to the more remote outposts of the planet and adventure travel is increasingly popular.  When I used to be a child, I dreamt of visiting the Far East and the Great Wall China, particularly.  China held a fascination for me but I never dreamt that I’d basically get there one day. 

My husband and I chose to save up and go on the holiday of a lifetime.  We have a mate who lives and works in Japan who speaks Chinese Mandarin fluently, having studied the language at Beijing University and has additionally worked in Taiwan.  The plan was to visit our friend in Tokyo and see a bit of Japan.  Then we flew to HK to spend a while then and there onto China.  Our friend went with us, which made the trip a lot more fun and much easier, having somebody to interpret for us. 

Beijing is a fascinating place and we probably did the common sightseeing, including exploring the banned Palace and Tinnamen Square.  One of the striking things is the amount of autos in the city and the background noise of tooting auto horns.  Then came the time to ski the coach to take us to the Great Wall China.  We had read as much about it as we could but nothing truly prepares you for it. 

I was determined to walk the wall, a part of it anyway, as it stretches over 4,000 miles!  When we arrived, it was extremely busy, generally with Chinese folk and one or two foreigners spattered here and there.  We walked one of the most popular stages of the Great Wall China.  It is divided into watchtowers, gateways and old barracks, some sections dating back to the 5th century.  The longest human made construction in the world exceeded all expectations. 

remarkably our friend, who has one leg, had walked the wall before and this was his 2nd visit.  He jumped in front of me, on his crutches and vanished into the distance!  It was the toughest thing i have ever done and I was almost at giving up point sometimes but I persisted and completed my section.  The Great Wall China steps are really steep in places and it takes every ounce of energy to climb them.  There are several vendors there, selling clothing, post cards and other mementos.  I proudly purchased my I Climbed the Great Wall T-shirt, which I continue to wear today.  Experiencing the Great Wall China was truly remarkable and I would endorse it to everybody.  Go to the gym first and get fit first, which is what I should have done but didn’t!

How would you like to see the top 100 wonders in the world? Visit famouswonders.com and browse through the top destinations in the world and be sure to check out The Great Wall of China pics.