It was a privilage to be allowed to hike part of The Great Wall, up uneven stairs from car park 4 to Fortress Tower 11. We needed an extra 1/2 hour to get to 12 (the end of this branch) and back to 11, our total round trip was 2 hours. It was hot, humid, smoggy and a public holiday. Crowds thinned as we passed through each Fortress Tower. The gatorades were great at the shop at Tower 9! Tonns of stairs and quite gruelling, glad we had our poles, fyi we were the only 2 that did. As we got to each tower and then looked past it, the mountain just kept going. Fabulous experience.
Huton Village is part of the old Beijing, heritage listed district where the old town square is walled, has an ancient bell tower, narrow lanes, and a lake. It was where the villages lived .... those who did not live in the Forbidden City. Now most people move out of the Huton district and live in high rise in Beijing City CBD. 22 million. In China, the Govt owns the land, and in old districts like Huton houses do not have toilets or bathrooms, there are communal toilet blocks, and you have to pay for a shower.
Bell Tower
Rick shaw ride, visit to the mandatory China Town with its food shops, market shops, the lake, traditional home cooked meal.
A little bit of authentic old China, I wonder how they feel about the daily tourist invasion, TripaDeal guides everywhere.
Not your normal kitchen decor in the west.
Very well looked after by Trip a Deal, then given plenty of free time to get lost on our own.
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