I am strong, I am woman!!

Today after breakfast, we began our trek from where we left the wall yesterday at Jinshanling to
the western section of the Great Wall at Simatai.

Built atop a mountain ridge 960 metres above sea level, the Great Wall at Simatai is separated by a valley into eastern and western sections, each very different. The trail is pretty steep in places and changes from well restored to being rough under foot.

As we followed the ridge top, the views were spectacular as we were treated to spectacular vistas of the villages and rice fields below, the mighty mountains in the distance and even see the Beijing Reservoir.

For me, today was the biggest challenge so far with the steep slopes (I'd say sometimes as steep as 315° angle) and climbing up very big steps almost on hands and knees at times. By the time I got to the end, my legs were a bit shaky and I was in need of a good cry to release the adrenaline and fear that had built up on the tricky sections.

We passed through twenty-two watchtowers which were just a few of the many we could see dotting the undulating path. Luckily, the weather was a little cooler today - a chilly 19°C and cloudy. We even had the chance to "meet rain" as Jessie puts it, on our descent from the Wall to our lunch in a local restaurant.

With the day’s trek complete, we transferred by bus to our hotel for the night. It was good to relax, listen to another Jessie story and have a snooze on the bus. Today's story was about the Chinese zodiac. I was born at the end of the year of the pig. This means I am intellectually curious, honest and tolerant and can be relied upon for loyalty!

After a stop at the supermarket to make a few purchases and see what a Chinese supermarket looks like, we headed to our hotel. Tonight we stay at the Shuangyang Hotel in Huairou.

After dinner, Jessie gave us a Chinese Calligraphy lesson - I think I did pretty good!! :-)