Up at 7:30. McDonald's for breakfast. I have another egg, sausage, and cheese sandwich. No pancakes here either. Why? Oh well. Taxi to Friendship Hotel in NW part of town to meet G and her friend W. W is an officer of a Beijing investment and hotel management company. We drive to Badaling area--northwest of Beijing, about 75 minutes from this end of town. See first mountains in China. Expressway--very modern, tollway. W explains that the Badaling area is being developed as weekend retreat area for Beijingers. He says Beijing population is about 30 million; with about 20% middle class or higher--that is 6 million people with money to spend. Large market.
We pass several tourist spots for Great Wall, and I can see various parts of the Great Wall. There are several different time periods, and some parts of the wall have been restored/repaired for tourists. We leave Beijing and enter Hebei province, which generally borders Beijing on the north. We exit highway, take a local road a few miles west of highway, eventually enter valley between mountains. This is a new road--recently built by government to encourage development of this area. On left are Great Wall sections.
We have lunch at small motel/restaurant, the XXXYYY, and are greeted there by X, a friend and business associate of W who manages this place. W says his company is an owner of this place. The complex is small, with restaurant in front; a one-room kindergarten/daycare center; an office space for the local Communist Party; and perhaps 15 or so motel rooms. The bathrooms are in the back corner--one for men, one for women. Simple Asian style--squat toilets. I don't notice any showers. Wash sink is outside. No heat in any of these areas.
The restaurant area is simple and clean, with wooden tables and benches. The rooms are small. The cheaper rooms are 60yuan per nite, with old-style "kong" beds, which are on brick ledges, under which there is a fire to warm beds at night. More expensive rooms have radiator heat. Lunch is very good--small boiled eggs (W says from bird similar to pheasant); scrambled eggs (very yellow, very good); local chicken; etc. Also local wine (Great Wall wine, red, sweet) and fruit drink (sweet and dark).
After eating we hike to nearby Great Wall. We can see it from where we start. Wall is generally follows the top or crest of hills. Strenuous, moderately difficult walk up along mostly dirt part cut into side of hill. Some parts rocky, and/or steep. As we go up W explains that his company wants to develop a large tract of the valley area we can view into villa style hotel and residences, with golf course, other recreation, etc. He shows me where they plan to put golf course--into narrow valley on other side of main valley. The entire plan is broad in scope, and designed to appeal to the Beijing middle class, and also long-term visitors. The small hotel/restaurant presently there (where we ate lunch) caters mostly to Beijing locals, but there are some foreigners who are in Beijing for a long time, such as embassy staff, that come here, and hiking organizations also like this area.
After about 45 minutes we reach the first part of the wall. This section of the wall is original, not repaired or restored. It is relatively narrow, with guard houses spaced about 1km apart. The view to the valley below is commanding and beautiful. I decide to hike up to the highest tower visible from our spot. X's dog and I hike to tower. Some of the hike is a bit difficult and very steep. The only way is to walk along the top of the wall, at times at about a 45 degree angle, where I have to keep very low to ground. Finally make it to top, and of course see from there another guard house even further up the hill, but I do not have the time. I am happy to have made it this far. Going down is actually more difficult that coming up. Some parts I must sit on my butt and slide and scoot down a little at a time. If I were to fall off the edge of the wall it would be a long way down. The hill is quite steep. The dog and I get back OK and we join the others for our walk back to the motel. Time to head back to the city. Ride back no problem. W takes us to his office, and I take taxi back to my hotel from there. Dinner at hotel buffet. I am very tired. Go to bed early.
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