Visit to the Great Wall of China

Through our hostel, we booked a tour to the Great Wall of China. For only 30€, we got transportation by bus, admission, and even a lunch. We were excited about our bargain, and the fun ride with many other backpackers in the tour bus started at 7 am. After a 2-hour bus ride, we finally arrived at the Wall. We had the option to either hike up to the Wall or take a cable car. Of course, we preferred the easier way and decided to spend an additional 5€ for the cable car. Once we reached the top, we were greeted with a breathtaking view of one of the seven wonders of the world. Despite the fog, we could still see quite far and admired the unique structure.

While I was expecting a leisurely stroll along the Wall, Jonas quickly corrected me. He wanted to go to the "Old Part" of the Wall. The first few meters were just "renovated tourist crap," and we had to go at least as far as Tower 23 to see the real old Wall. We were only at Tower 14!! The path itself was incredibly strenuous as it involved hundreds of steep stairs, but we were even prouder when we finally reached the top. Hardly anyone ventured up here anymore (except for the other backpackers from our tour who also knew that the actual Wall begins here), and we enjoyed the unobstructed view. Later, we met up again at a small restaurant and had a Chinese-style meal. We all sat at a large round table, and in the middle on a rotating plate, there were different dishes that everyone could take a serving of.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable tour, and on the second day, we were able to check off a big goal of our trip =)