SECRET WALL TOUR + BEIJING, CHINA

Waking up early for an 8AM appointment with a tour bus wasn’t such a big deal. Getting my travel companions out of bed on time was another story. Thanks to the kindness of our tour guide for holding the bus, we made it on time for the three plus hour ride to the “Secret Wall.” The tourist areas of the Great Wall of China are split into four segments, Badaling, Mutianyu, Jinshanling, and Simatai. Most of these areas were reconstructed with the help of foreign interests, leaving one to wonder how and where you can get a chance to actually see the original, untouched portions of the Great Wall. In comes Leo Hostel II, with their bulletin board of culturally charged day trips and tourist attractions, of which the main highlight is their 120 yuan, “Secret Wall Tour.”During the bus ride, our English speaking guide described the historic significance of the Great Wall, and the dangers of the area we would be visiting, seeing as the area we were headed to was mostly ruin. We arrived in a beautiful canyon with a small village at the base of one of the joining mountains. The hike up wasn’t too steep, ahead of us were a few Chinese locals who were hired to assist us in clearing a path up the bramble covered slope. Patches of flowers and little trees passed us as we made our way to the summit. Just the sight of the edge of one of the watchtowers was enough to get our hearts racing. When we finally reached the top, the view was stunning, and our first vision of the real Great Wall was breathtaking. There before us, sprawling over mountains like a long snake was the Great Wall, crumbling, ancient, and just how we imagined it.

It’s quite a trek from the base of the mountain and then up and along the wall, but we were prepared with lots of water and good climbing outfits. Patches of flowers and the endless green mountains were more than enough to inspire us. We hiked for a few hours across the wall, climbing, jumping, getting pulled over edges by our tour guides. As we walked along the Wall, we would come to watchtowers, some in good enough condition to pass through, and some so old and broken that climbing over was the only option. The locals who came along for the walk would climb up these watchtowers with ease, then reaching down, pull us up and over. It was a little treacherous, but we did it, and with few scratches.

When we finally made it back to the tour bus, one of the Chinese families from the village was waiting for us with a late lunch prepared, as the tour had promised. The family was sweet and invited us into their home where we were treated to one of the best vegetarian meals of my life. I’ve never experienced so many unique dishes, including one with tiny fried flowers and another with a shredded beets covered in sugar. What a wonderful way to end such an adventure, with a rare chance to enjoy a real Chinese home cooked meal. It was a sweet farewell from the local families children who came out to wave goodbye. The rocks we pushed aside and the stones we turned to travel along the wall would forever remain in those positions until the next group of explorers take up Leo Hostel II’s adventurous offer.

Leo Hostel
Beijing China

Tel: 63031595 / 63033318
Email: info@leohostel.com
Website: www.leohostel.com

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