BEST OF BEIJING - 6

BEST MEMORIES FROM THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

We took the wrong bus going to Badaling! As shared from my Ano'ng Trip Mo blog entry, getting lost is part of the fun when designing our own itinerary.

So here's what happened: As per our web research, we’ll have to go down at the Deshengmen subway station and take Bus No. 919 to Badaling.

But apparently, buses with the No. 919 do not share the same route. You still have to check their destination by asking the driver / ticket lady or reading the sign (in Chinese and English) on the bus / bus stop. We didn’t do either, our bad! (The wrong bus was off to Nan Kou!)

Good thing the Bus Ticket Lady was kind enough to suggest that they’ll just drop us off at a stop near Badaling, to catch the correct Bus No. 919. She even wrote down directions in Chinese – something we’re supposed to hand the driver.

So on a lonely bus stop, somewhere in the mountains to The Great Wall, we finally got into the correct Bus No. 919.

Confession: The view of The Great Wall from the bus got me teary-eyed. I was overwhelmed by excitement and awe! Dun pa lang, alam ko na, the trip (and all the aberya that came with it) was worth it.

The forecast was correct: it'd be rainy that Monday morning, Sept 20.

Bulol on a Watch Tower at Badaling, The Great Wall of China

We didn't mind the rains.

Who would complain with this amazing view?!

Wet weather at The Wall.

We're here! We're actually here! The rain didn't dampen our spirits.

I’ll never get tired of saying this – if a couple can lovingly hold hands and laugh while being lost during a rainy day, in a foreign land, they must really be meant to journey through life together.

*sniff*sniff*

We made it up to only six towers. It was too slippery. Maybe we could have climbed higher if it were sunny. As a mountaineer, J wishes to scale all (or at least most) of The Wall's sections. So we made a pact to go back -- one day soon.

Some practical info:

Total travel time from the city to The Great Wall is approximately two hours via bus. (Should have been less if we took the correct bus, hehe.) Bus fare: We paid RMB6 (Php36) each for the Wrong Bus. Plus another RMB8 (Php48) each for the Right Bus. Total fare: RMB28 or Php168.

Badaling Entrance Fee: RMB45 (PHP265.5) each