Holiday travel

Because we have no idea how long we will be living on this side of the world - my fingers are crossed for years and years - we want to take advantage of school breaks to visit as many places as possible, places that don't take 24 hours to get there.

Beijing and The Great Wall seemed to be a logical choice for the Christmas break. The weather is cold in December and the crowds are significant lighter (although, I wouldn't say light), which we decided is far better than wicked hot and unbearably crowded.

I found the "warnings" on the weather in Beijing by our HK friends a bit disturbing. Of course, at first, these weren't "disturbing" because I dismissed these comments as those of who had been too long in the wicked hot summers and mild winters of HK.  But, there were just too many "warnings" to shake. My favorite was from a friend from North Carolina, "Have you been to Beijing in the winter? It's COLD! We often ask people, 'is it cold-cold, or Beijing cold.'" And, each time I saw this friend, she would remind me of some warm article of clothing that I mustn't forget to pack.

So, I gathered all the ski gear, scarves, thermal underclothes, gloves, hats, socks, and boots we had in the house, and then went out and bought more to make sure we had enough clothing to layer all six of us sufficiently. Deep down, I didn't think we would truly need all of this. But, my friend is a strong personality and I didn't want to face her after Beijing without having heeded her warning.

OH MY WORD!  Cold cannot describe how I felt on The Great Wall. The beauty and sheer engineering marvel is something to behold, but because I was mostly hijacked by my low body-temperature,  I don't think I enjoyed it as I might have with a few more layers.

The oldest sections of the Wall that haven't been repaired are the most interesting (and you don't see a soul on the wall while hiking). We hiked 10K each of the two days we were on the wall. 

And it didn't get any warmer in the city!

Beijing, I could have done without. The sky was blue (miracle), but the city and the people seemed gloomy and depressed (hello, communism). Also, we were a spectacle with our four kids (in this one-kid-and-better-be-my-blood-kid country). And, apparently, it's not rude to take pictures and stare and laugh at other families you do not know!!! But, overall, I'm glad we went - but mostly only for The Great Wall.

But, these finds - bringing joy to all native English speakers - make the cold, the communist, and the discourteous all worth it!