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Sunday, August 4, 2002, CST
Day 11, We scale the wall
Our day started at
The drive up to the wall is on a new mountain hiway, built in 1996. The scenery is beautiful, and reminiscent of many mountain roads back in the states. We motored past the Badaling gate, and on to the Mutianyu entrance. The weather was pleasant, with a little loss of temperature, as we ascended 1200 feet, and there was a nice breeze. We paid RMB$60 for the Gondola ride up the mountain, on what appeared to be a Chinese manufactured tram. It was a short line, and a quick ride to the top. When we got to the top, it was a short walk through a nice and cool tunnel, before hitting the masses of people, trying to cram themselves into a limited space, and an even more limiting doorway in the wall. The doorway was only about 4 or 5 feet across, and people were going through here 3 and 4 abreast.
Once on the wall, it was a steep climb with the hoards, to
the
After a short break, we were on our own for dinner, and
Grandpa had some friends who graciously invited us out for a Yuan Dynasty
(Mongolian) dinner of lamb and dumplings. Yesterday, I said we were going
shopping today, but I had my days mixed up. Tomorrow we check out of the hotel,
and spend our last day in
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