Great Wall of China Travel Tips

After visiting the Great Wall of China, I decided it would be good to share some travel tops for those reading this that might be traveling there soon. While this list is not the greatest list of travel tips ever assembled, this list is made up of things I wish I would have known before I got there. Here are my tips:

1.     Wake up early and get there early – we waited until 8:30 to leave the hotel. It took about 90 minutes to travel to the Great Wall, and I feel like we wasted time unnecessarily. Had we left at 6:30 or 7:00, we would have made it back to the Forbidden City in time to make that tour in one day. 

2.     Take the gondola up – save your legs, it is the easiest way up.

3.     Head West (to the alternate ways down) once you get to the top.

4.     Wear comfortable shoes for walking, with ankle support if you need it... I wore decent shoes, but should have brought better shoes!

5.     Take drinks and snacks with you – It seemed a though we walked about 2-3 miles on rough terrain. They sell water and snacks, but if you like to save money, bring your own.

6.     Take the sled (slideway) down. This was really cool. It is a sled that you ride down. It has a handheld break, it goes as fast or as slow as you want, and is definitely a unique experience.

7.     Purchase souvenirs after you come down from the wall – vendors will hustle you on the way up, but there is no reason to waste your time on the way up (most people already know this)

8.     Bring $1 bills (US) – you can buy most everything for just a dollar. There is no need to exchange your money here, and your money will go further this way.

9.     Have fun – this is an incredible site to see, enjoy it and have fun with the experience. You will get tired, hot, and sweaty, so make sure you have fun seeing this site!

Greece June 09: Fun Times

During our trip we worked hard. In fact, part of my worry at the end of the week was that I might have pushed the team too hard. Blisters on one team member’s feet, soreness in multiple bodies, and some being worn-out-tired brought me to that conclusion, but the reports from team members have eased those fears.

We make it clear that we are there to work; we have a job to do! However, all work no play makes for a miserable trip so we try to add some fun activities as well. Here are some pictures with a brief explanation of what we did for fun:

Cape Sunion (pronounced Sunio), a beach on overlooked by Poseidon’s temple.




Playing tennis on a clay court at my favorite spot in Athens – I was really elated they allowed us to play for a few minutes. This is at a private club I would love to join if we lived there. They have grass, clay, and hard courts, as well as a nice café:


Racing Christy in Corinth on the ancient track starting blocks:



A ferry ride of the Aegean Island where we relaxed and played paddle ball:



Relaxing after dinner below the Acropolis:


Not pictured: Constant joking, laughing and smiles… usually at Robert’s expense!