You Can't Really See It From Space...

...that would be like saying that you can see I-70 from space, except that I-70 is substantially wider and easier to see. However, let that not take away from the intrigue and magnificence of China's Great Wall. Over the last 3,000 years this nation has asked its people to do some pretty crazy things - perhaps building this wall is on the top of that list. As for the intrigue - there is just something magnetic about that wall that draws me to it. We went to Badaling (when you come to China, don't go to Badaling - everyone goes to Badaling) because it was the most accessible for us, but this wall has over 4,000 miles of length to draw one's curiosity. There are a lot of "tourist destinations" I have been to all over the world. Some are nice, and some I could do without. Chang Cheng (The Great Wall) is one that did not just satisfy my curiosity, but sparked it. I will be back.

We took the train from the Beijing North Railway Station. The train was fast (just over 1 hour), cheap (about $2.50), and incredibly comfortable (not to mention empty).


The Wall was built to defent the capital was invading enemies (for more history on the Great Wall there are some really helpful websites - or just watch Mulan). There are holes in the Wall on the north side that could have used to shoot down upon the enemy - or do other things to him.