Stevie & Jason

The Great Wall- Mutianyu Section

stevie — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:15:31 +0000

A quick search on Flickr using the term “Great Wall” returned scores of photos of the Badaling section of the Great Wall, which happens to be the most popular due to it’s easy access. It’s also terribly crowded with both tourists and vendors alike. While researching for the trip, I came across several recommendations for the Mutianyu section saying that it was much more picturesque without the crowds. The rest of the group was unswayed until they learned of the alpine slide built to carry everyone down from the wall.

Mutianyu ended up being an excellent choice, aside from the twisty turny ride up. We had the Wall pretty much to ourselves. Looking back, it still seems like an unreal experience.

Sewage Sucker?

stevie — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:05:09 +0000

Leaving

stevie — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:59:38 +0000

Time for the next adventure- The Great Wall!

Curve

stevie — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:54:34 +0000

Walking the wall around the Ming Tomb, as a warm-up for the Great Wall I suppose.

Ming Tombs

stevie — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:06:44 +0000

I apologize for the absence- seven days after my last post everything went all to heck around here. Over the past two months we lost two close family members, moved, and had a brief respite over a weekend in Mexico. Things are slowly getting back to normal. Although I began this site as a way for us to share photos with close family/friends, I appreciate all who visit.

This is me, at the Ming Tombs. I asked Jason to take a photo as proof that I existed. Oftentimes as the photographer, I’ll look back at an entire event and realize I’m not present in a single shot. Sometimes that’s not a bad thing.

Ming Tombs

stevie — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:34:07 +0000

I wish I knew more about this; Brad insisted that we stop on the way to the Great Wall. All I know is that a Ming emperor is buried in the hillside.

Beijing in the Morning

stevie — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:29:01 +0000

All of China is in the same time zone, so that meant the sun had a tendency to rise very early.

Close Enough

stevie — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:26:57 +0000

KTV!

stevie — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:24:29 +0000

A popular past-time in China is to sing karaoke, but they do it a little differently than us. You secure a private room for you and your friends so you end up serenading a private audience. This KTV was a little different, though- not only could you sing karaoke, but you could get a prostitute on the side. I had to use the bathroom and the hall as thick with them. Suddenly the mystery of where all the calling cards left in our hotel door each night was solved.

Down Below

stevie — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:20:34 +0000

The neighborhood we stayed in during our stay in Beijing was by far the most colorful of the trip. Every night markets would spring up out of the trunks of people’s car, and a madam patrolled the streets with a bluetooth sticking out of her ear. That’s a hospital across the street, by the way.