One of life’s great “check it off” activities is that of going to the great wall. Knowing that you would all be coming to China meant that you all knew that you would be going to the Great Wall. So, did it mean your expectations? What were your impressions? Today we also had our first “country-style” meal, and a photo op at the Olympic Village. And if you were lucky enough to go with the ladies to the pearl market, you witnessed what shopping is really supposed to be like. Clearly today was a travel and tourist day, more than a business-focused day, but it was a perfect introduction to China.
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March 8, 2011 at 1:42 am |
I was not expecting a ski lift ride to the top of the mountain in order to see the wall and an alpine slide to get down from the mountain. They were both pleasant surprises. The Great Wall itself was well, great. Tons of hiking and more steep stairs to climb than I could imagine. Wish I was able to make it to the top for that picture. The food so far has been great. I’m looking forward to the Pecking Duck dinner!
March 8, 2011 at 2:20 am |
The Great Wall is actually never a site I had considered visiting on my own, so I am happy this trip took me there. When I imagined the wall, I think that my depiction was framed mostly by Disney. I was happy to discover that even with my Fantasy Land expectations, the wall totally did not disappoint. In climbing over the steep stairs, it made me wonder how soldiers would have navigated the stairs of the wall during winter when they would have had ice or snow. Definitely an incredible place to visit.
March 8, 2011 at 7:04 pm |
The Great Wall was pretty amazing – the sheer size of it and the history. Everything in China has such a longer history than in the US, it makes me realize how young our country really is. The walk was a challenge, but very rewarding at the end. I got my workout in for the day (and I am still feeling the effects!). I absolutely loved the toboggan ride on the way down – I really appreciate that other countries allow you to have fun and take risks without being concerned (like the US) with getting sued by some over-zealous person. Great start to the trip!!
March 9, 2011 at 5:38 pm |
I was surprised at how high up in the hills the Great Wall ran. The first section we visited looked really well-preserved, but then we took a short visit to an unimproved section of the wall. It was really interesting to see the difference between the main tourist section and one covered in tall grass and small trees. According to locals, in the last couple days the weather has been warmer and the air clearer than usual, which was all I could have hoped for. The Olympic Village was impressive, but I wish I could have spent more time there for a visit into the bird’s nest or the water cube.
March 10, 2011 at 5:33 am |
I thought the Great Wall measured up to its name. I can’t imagine how difficult it was to build the wall. It seems daunting using modern day technology let alone technology hundreds of years ago. One thing that struck me was how small the steps were. It was hard for someone with size 12 shoes to even fit my feet on the steps. Also, the steps alternated between very steep and very shallow.
March 10, 2011 at 5:52 am |
Visiting the Great Wall on day 1 made me feel like I was really in China (especially after waking up to the Texas/Baylor basketball game). Everything from the local vendors at the bottom, the chair lift to the top, wandering the Wall, and the toboggan ride down were all unforgettable experiences. It was massive, though I found it hard to get a feel for the sheer length of it which I think is the most impressive part, even though it ran as far as my eye could see. An unbelievable start to the trip.
March 11, 2011 at 5:11 am |
The Great Wall was pretty impressive. I didn’t quite realize we’d be taking the ski lift up and it was an interesting experience not wearing skis. The Wall was very extensive and steep in parts. It was a fun time to walk along – it seemed like it was never ending. Another highlight of my day was the pearl market. I walked around the stalls for awhile before settling on one. The woman who made my two necklaces was the same age as me and it was fun to hear about her life in China – very different from mine!
March 11, 2011 at 11:59 am |
The Great Wall most definitely exceeded my expectations. Fortunately we lucked out with excellent weather which provided for fantastic visibility and the crystal clear sky made it that much more picturesque. The Great Wall highlight for me was taking pictures with some of the ladies in yoga poses or doing cartwheels. The toboggan ride down let us see a different side of our classmates – some have a need for speed (cough: Munse) and others play it more safe (cough:Bottleneck Barnard).
Pearl Market – where do I even begin? We all came away beaming with our treasures. I am so proud of my pearls – yes, plural pearlS -and the intense negotiation that was involved. McCombs should incorporate Pearl Market 101 into its negotiation class! I initially intended to buy one necklace for me and one for mom, but fell in love with what mom was going to get and so began a dangerous-to-the-RMB-pocketbook cycle. If you’re reading this, mom, happy early birthday!
March 13, 2011 at 8:38 am |
The Great Wall was even more impressive than i was expecting. We had our first experience with a Chineese “market” and the agressive vendors at the base of the wall. One of my favorite parts of the trip was the ride down from the wall, i was not expecting that at the Great Wall!
March 14, 2011 at 11:53 pm |
I made my first bargaining transaction here. I bought a hand carving of the Great Wall. It looks really nice and cost 120 RMB. I think it was worth it, but I’m sure I could have gotten it for less. It’s amazing how much better you get at bargaining after doing it a few times. I also bought some pearls at the market for 85 RMB. I asked the vendor what the highest amount anyone has paid and she said someone paid 1,000 RMB for the same necklace that I bought. Its funny how in the end everyone feels they got a great deal, but there is no easy way to know.
March 19, 2011 at 3:14 pm |
I loved the great wall adventure. An attraction like this in the states would have been much different. I would be pretty surprised to see a chairlift and slide as the typical entrance and exit points. I’m sure someone would fall off an sue. Beyond this, we were able to easily go beyond the standard area of the wall that was designated for tourists. As we hiked between the trees and bushes that had grown between the cracks in the original wall, you could see the original craftsmanship. Truly inspiring!
March 21, 2011 at 6:24 am |
The great wall did turn out to be a ‘must do.’ Even though I knew more or less what to expect, I was still impressed by the magnitude. It was particularly cool to look toward the horrizon and see the wall snake away through through the mountains. One woman selling Coke’s on the top of the wall told me that China was on one side and Mongolia on the other. Now, I know thats not true, but I wonder if there was a language barrier, a lack of knowldege on her part, or an old fashioned game of trick the tourist? At the Olympic area it occured to me that we were seeing China’s oldest and newest giant scope national building projects. Will the Beijing Olympics keep the world interested and impressed longer than the wall kept the Mongolian hordes out of Beijing?
March 21, 2011 at 8:10 am |
Visiting the Great Wall was a great way to start our China trip. Although the car ride was long, I enjoyed seeing China’s country side. Upon arriving at the Wall I was amazed by the size and craftsmanship. At times it looked like the Wall continued for eternity. I was also surprised by how steep parts of the Wall could be. I can’t imagine running the Great Wall marathon with those steep inclines. In addition to the Great Wall I was able to experience my first meal with a Lazy Susan, I’m a big fan. I have also decided that I desperately need to improve my chop stick skills.
March 21, 2011 at 9:51 am |
What a sight…The Great Wall was everything I had expected. Its endless and absolutely massive. I was very surprised by the miniature bobsled run, which was a lot of fun. It was a great way to get back to the base of the wall. Afterwards, we stopped by the Bird Nest and that was pretty spectacular as well.
March 21, 2011 at 10:20 am |
The Great Wall as a name is almost a misnomer – it was even more than great. In my mind’s eye I pictured a wall built on flat land that was just straight across the countryside, however I never imagined the Great Wall to be built on the highest points of mountains winding across China. It was absolutely spectacular!
Being 6’5″ I was also struck by the size difference of people now and people almost two thousand years ago. I couldn’t fit anywhere! The steps were so shallow in some places and steep in others – none built to fit size 14 shoes.
With the size difference aside, I definitely want to highlight that the Great Wall is the most amazing thing I have seen in my life – truly.
March 21, 2011 at 1:29 pm |
Visiting the Great Wall was originally one of my “check it off” items for the China trip that I thought little more about; however, after being there on such a beautiful day, I have to say that the Great Wall visit was one of my favorite parts of the trip. For one, I didn’t realize how STEEP the thing is. I definitely got an unexpected stair-master workout that day! It was truly breathtaking to see the countryside and the mountainous terrain from atop the wall and I loved soaking up the sun from up there. Like Kyle mentioned above, I also considered myself lucky that I don’t have too long of feet or legs because the stairs were certainly shallow and tiny! At some points it seemed like just an incline would have been more efficient than the little stairs that existed. That being said, I loved the Great Wall and would recommend it to any first-time visitor to China.
March 21, 2011 at 3:44 pm |
I could have spent the whole day at the great wall, exploring and see in how far that I could go. This was a great introduction to China. It is so interesting to difference in the city center of Beijing and the country area of the great wall. I said that yesterday that I was really surprised at how clean that Beijing was, well that cleanliness seems to end at the forth ring road.
In addition the lack of concern about for public safety there is at the great wall. I’m from Chicago, were everything is handicap accessible and as safe a possible. Steps are marked with yellow or red paint. The trails in the one area that we have to hike have recently been paved over to make it safer. However today I rode down the side of a mountain on a metal slide contraption scooting along because the woman in front of me had stopped and the people that were looking out for my safety were smoking and having lunch. The great wall had no red paint, was completely handicap inaccessible, and a few times I was certain that I was going to tumble to my death. It was fantastic.
March 21, 2011 at 6:29 pm |
Easily one of my favorite things in China. Hard to believe someone hiked the entire length of the wall. From talking with other travelers, we were extremely lucky with the weather and as a result we all got some amazing photos. Looking forward to everyone’s pics.
I also saw an awesome Mao communist t-shirt that had been edited with Obama’s face. I later realized they had them everywhere, but it was funny to see how pervasive American politics are (even in China).
March 22, 2011 at 10:04 am |
I have always wanted to see the Great Wall, but I’ve don’t think I really had any expectations going there. That said, it was probably one of my favorite days. We lucked out with great weather and it was the perfect first day start to our China trip. What I didn’t expect were all the steep, narrow stairs, but it was well worth the climb to see the amazing views from each tower.
March 22, 2011 at 10:51 am |
The Great Wall was definitely an amazing sight. I must say though that I am not sure how effective it was at keeping the Mongolians away. It seemed like it would be pretty easy to climb over and monitoring the wall for invaders must have been extrememly difficult given the wall’s length. One thing I have noticed about once in a lifetime tourists sights such as this is that they are visually tarnished a bit by people selling t-shirts, modern technologies etc. I am not complaining though about the toboggan ride down, that was so fun! Lastly, today was my first experience with a ‘squatter’ toilet. I will admit that I had to ask if I should face the wall or the door, haha!
March 22, 2011 at 11:49 am |
Seeing The Great Wall was a perfect kick start to the trip. The majesty of the Wall, as well as the sheer breadth of its size (of which we were only able to see a small part), was so impressive in person. From every angle I tried to see beyond the end of the Wall but realized that I would have to have a very powerful telescope to do so. Visiting The Wall introduced us to another aspect of Chinese culture, the marketplace. Our short walk up the hill allowed street vendors to offer us ‘good price’ on everything from handbags featuring President Obama depicted as Mao to pretty marble etchings of the Wall. While the aggressive nature of these vendors surprised me at first, after our time in Beijing and Shanghai I realize that they were much gentler than the future salesmen we would face. After visiting the Great Wall, we saw another site that has become visually familiar to almost every American after summer 2008, the Olympic Village. We got some good photos in front of Michael Phelps’ famous stomping grounds, the Water Cube, but unfortunately didn’t get to go inside. Not sure what China will do with these huge (and costly) stadiums now…
March 22, 2011 at 11:49 am |
The Great Wall and our first full day in China was my favorite by far. The magnitude of the wall is something you just don’t fully understand until your standing on it and hiking it. The views were amazing and this is an experience I won’t soon forget.
One of my biggest fears heading to China was the food and how different it might be from what i’m used to. I brought a couple different kinds of crackers from home just in case. During our first lazy susan meal I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the meal.
The pearl market was an experience in and of itself. I knew the shopping would be an experience in China, but the markets were intense and fun all at the same time.
March 22, 2011 at 1:21 pm |
I truly enjoyed the visit to the Great Wall! The structure is much more massive and steep than I had anticipated. I did not expect to be out of breath climbing those stairs and have never been more grateful for having little feet! I was also surprised that there was a chair lift to get to the Wall and a toboggan ride to get down. I actually thought when someone said we were taking a toboggan ride that they were joking. I also did not expect the vendors at both the Great Wall and at the Pearl Market to be so aggressive and that they would even grab our arms. The Chinese word “Bu” meaning “No” that we were taught definitely came in handy!
March 22, 2011 at 1:57 pm |
The Great Wall was simply amazing! The weather was amazing during our visit, which allowed us to see miles and miles of the Wall and appreciate China countryside and mountains. It was truly a beautiful scene. I was amazed with how short the stairs were. Either someone incorrectly measured the stairs during construction or the ancient Chinese have shockingly small feet. The small steps actually made it challenging to walk. I almost fell 734 times walking the Great Wall. We also had the chance to ride a toboggan down from the top of the hill. It was a blast except for when I had a break malfunction and gave Kyle Beste whiplash. Sorry again, Kyle. Overall the Great Wall was absolutely amazing!
P.S. I apologize for using the word amazing so much, but the Great Wall was really amazing. If I start using “chemistry” or “the right reasons” you guys might start to think that Brad Womack is writing my blog for me.
March 22, 2011 at 2:19 pm |
Today was a very exciting day! I have heard so much about all of our stops that I was excited to finally be able to experience them all for myself!
The Great Wall was amazing. I was surprised, though, by how strenuous the climb was to the top of the towers! It was interesting to learn that the towers were spaced 2 arrow flight lengths apart so that arrows from the towers would reach in the middle and be able to defend any area on the wall. I also thought it was interesting to learn that The Great Wall was less effective in protecting against the Mongolians when they fought with swords and arrows than when they fought with guns.
The Olympic stadiums were exciting to see as prior to coming to business school I worked with the Olympic Rowing Team. The stadiums were impressive but I can just imagine how much more impressive they were during the Olympics!
I have been waiting to visit the Pearl Market for a long time. Everytime my aunt visits China (which is a lot) she goes to the Pearl Market and brings back goodies and stories. I was excited to be going and experiencing it myself! I was much more overwhelmed than I expected to be and also could use some practice with my haggling skills!
March 22, 2011 at 2:39 pm |
No better way to start a trip to China than to begin at the Great Wall. Simply put, it is an impressive structure. Climbing the steps to the many stations was challenging at times, but still a lot of fun. Great MBA Class photo! The slide down to the base was also quite an experience. Definitely a unique approach to getting people back to the base. Our first real experience with the lazy susan was a success. The food was mediocre, but the MANY beers consumed were fun and the whole process was interesting. The Olympic Stadium was quite a sight. I never realized how open the space was and how the stadium sticks out on the horizon.
March 22, 2011 at 9:03 pm |
I also agree that the Great Wall really surpassed my expectations and it was an exciting way to start off our trip! The weather was perfect, and I really enjoyed exploring the wall and taking fun pictures with our whole group. I didn’t realize we would be taking the chair lift or riding the tobaggan down the hill either so that was a great surprise.
I really enjoyed our first group lunch that day too–who knew we’d have so many lazy susan meals to look forward to! I thought the food was good though and we got to try a lot of different dishes. I also learned from Ouyang that the way the napkins were folded differently indicated who the important guests at the table were. Luckily I chose a great seat and got first dibs on everything!
March 22, 2011 at 9:05 pm |
The Great Wall was one of my favorite activities of the trip. I think I walked out of there with a few hundred pictures! This was not without its difficulties – taking pictures at the great wall is quite a challenge. I think I tripped every time I got out my camera as the stairs were never uniform. The toboggan ride down was also a gem. But, apparently you were not allowed to take pictures on the descent; I took at least 20. The station attendants would call out warnings, but I knew they couldn’t catch me… Fantastic Great Wall visit.
March 22, 2011 at 9:28 pm |
The Great Wall, like most other things in China, is much bigger than I imagined. I was really amazed at its length but was surprised about how narrow it is. You could look in almost every direction and see the wall until you could see no further but its widest point would only be about 15 feet or so. Our tour guide told a story about an Englishman who is the only known person to walk/hike the Wall’s entire length. He said it took him 6 years. At first, I didn’t believe it would take that long but after climbing some long sections that were almost completely vertical, I am shocked that it didn’t take him an entire decade.
March 22, 2011 at 9:31 pm |
Today was an awesome tourist day for our first full day in China! The Great Wall was a lot newer than expected and I was disappointed in the graffiti all over the wall, but overall it was still magnificent. Pictures do not to justice in regard to the magnitude and beauty of the Great Wall (and its environment), but we sure did try to take as many as humanely possible. I enjoyed getting to walk around on the wall — probably was the most physical exercise I had in China — especially since the weather was gorgeous. Despite being a slow tobagganer, I enjoyed both the creaky chairlift and the tobaggan ride down. Our first group lunch was delicious as we tried various dishes for the first time and got a taste of traditional food. We quickly learned that Chinese people “don’t need diets” as Diet Coke is an anomaly there.
Exploring the Pearl Market that afternoon was a different sort of adventure. I loved interacting with the locals and learning how to best bargain for a $10 necklace. It was excellent practice for future bargaining and a fun time seeing everyone divide and conquer the pearls, bags, and scarves that the Pearl Market had to offer.
March 23, 2011 at 12:55 pm |
The Great Wall was definitely a sight to behold. I was not able to really comprehend the sheer size and length of the Wall until I saw it firsthand. The length is supposedly 5,500 miles, although it sounds like the true length is debatable, but the fact that it seems enormous and we could only see the wall stretch for about 5 mountain peaks or so blows my mind. I definitely thought of the Lord of the Rings movie when you could see the command posts at the top of each mountain peak as it stretched into the distance. What was also suprising/astonishing was the steep pitch of the wall and how it was so difficult to climb down and climb back up the steps along the wall to the different command posts. It was hard for me to just walk, and I can now understand how difficult it must have been for the soldiers/slaves to build the wall and carry the stones up and down the mountain to build this thing. No wonder 1 million people died building it. After taking this all in, the toboggan ride to the bottom of the mountain was an awesome ending to a great morning. Just for the record, I was definitely the fastest down the mountain, and have the video to prove it. LESCANT!!
We had a wonderful Lazy Susan meal after the wall and it was great to have photo ops outside of the bird’s nest where the 2008 Olympics were held. A few guys also visited the now famous Lisa’s Tailor Shop and purchased amazing and simultaneously amazingly cheap suits and button down shirts, along with a trip to the Silk Market and realized how truly awesome the quality of fake merchandise is in China. This is going to be a great trip. Maybe not for Jeff Bresslour’s wallet, but overall a great first day in China!
March 23, 2011 at 5:22 pm |
Today was very fun we really did a lot in one day. We climbed the great wall and I went on my very first chair lift. I was terrified the whole time and totally freaked out. Natalie was awesome at helping me calm down and enjoy the beautiful view. The great wall was really cool very uneven and kind of hard to climb. I’m definitely going to be sore the next day. Next we had an awesome lunch and then headed to the Olympic park for some photos it was huge and really cool, I wish we could have spent more time there. The best part of the whole day was the pearl market. I whipped out my my negotiation skills and got tons of awesome stuff. Although I started to feel guilty that I was only buying stuff for myself. I got two pearl necklaces and two bags. I was very adamant about what price I wanted to pay and generally got it. I was definitely on a haggle high and started to haggle for all my classmates around me. Can’t wait to go to the silk market and buy more stuff.