Day 8 - visiting the Great Wall with a Sidecar

You may already got it, I like to ride motorcycles. So wherever I go I usually try to rent one to explore the region on my own. In Beijing you are not allowed to rent or drive a motorcycle so I was a bit sad in the beginning but luckily found beijing sideways a company that organizes trips around the city or to the countryside with motorcycles with sidecars. So while a chinese pro runs the bike you are sitting next to him in the sidecar - enjoying the freedom and the wind around your nose.

I booked a trip to the Great Wall which is a day trip, accompanied by a local guide who speaks english and able to tell you everything you may want to know.

Officially its a trip to the wall, on a section not crowded by tourist, then you hike along the wall, have a fresh picnic at the top and go down the other side to meet the motorcyclist again to take you home.

So far so good, but already been tired after hard days in Beijing and my old ankle injury ( and my overweight and general unfitness ...) I wasn't able to hike the wall, for me the incline of more than 100% was just too much and the 34 degrees with 78% humidity also took its toll ...So lets say I am a sissy and only walked 50 meters on the wall...but what the hell...this was one of most exciting trips I have ever made and I had such a great day. The driver was a cool guy and the guide one of the most friendliest persons I have met. She was great and made my trip as comfortable as possible.

Its quite a thing if you drive through the entire city to reach the country side - only then you realize how big Beijing actually is.

Here some pictures of the day ...my great trip to the great wall !

  this is me, after making the decision not to climb the great wall ...