One of the Seven Wonders of the World... and for tonight, my bed

For those of you who know me, know that camping is not really my thing. Give me hiking, boating, and whatever else outdoorsy stuff- as long as there is a bed waiting for me, I am, to use the phrase, a happy camper. 

But, in China there is a famous phrase that goes something like this: "you are not a real man until you climb the Great Wall." So, hearing this charge, our plan was to spend the night camping ON the Great Wall of China and climb up an unrestored portion in the morning. And that was that- off to the Wall we went. 

How on earth could this be possible you may ask. Well... see, our campsite was actually some fellow's backyard. He basically earns his livelihood by allowing groups like ours access to the wall for a small price per person (the equivalent to about $1.25/person). So we paid the guy and hiked toward the huge structure. 

We only hiked for a short time, thankfully. I was not used to walking with a big hiking backpack. This was my first experience to bring ALL my own supplies on my back- water, food, etc. As you can see in the first picture, we set up camp, literally on a small flat portion of the Great Wall. 

Needless to say, my bed was as hard and uncomfortable as I expected. Ancient old brick and mortar does not make for a welcoming bed. Regardless, throughout the long night of little sleep, I kept reminding myself- hey, I'm sleeping on the Great Wall, at least try to enjoy it! 

The next morning, I woke up and climbed up a portion of the Wall. Because this section is unrestored, some parts were partially destroyed by wear and tear, and these required serious climbing skills. It was a little intimidating without the security of ropes and harness, but in the end, the view was worth it. From the top, I could get a better picture of the awesomeness of the Great Wall- it stretched as a far as I could see, over mountains and down into valleys (picture 2). 

On the one hand, the Wall is a picture of man's willpower and capability to accomplish incredible feats. Still, thanks to history's record we know the real story. Most of the Great Wall was built to protect ancient Beijing against invasion from the North, and after 40-some years of fighting, a dissatisfied gatekeeper allowed the invaders through his pass. Beijing was captured and so began the last ruling dynasty- the Manchu (or Qing) Dynasty lasting over 300 years. So think with me, consider the monumental amount of work, not to mention the estimated 4 million lives lost, that went into building the Wall, only to let the invaders in the front door- rather ironic. 

In retrospect, I am still having a hard time believing that I actually camped on the Great Wall. After I told my dad about my grand adventure he smartly remarked, "Well, it took a world wonder to get you to camp. Now you have 6 more possibilities." Ha. So true. And so worth sleeping on the ground.