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3 Amazing Activities To Do In Banff

Erin — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 19:56:23 +0000

Banff is one of the most beautiful national parks in Canada. Here are the best ways to take in the scenery and enjoy the park's natural beauty. #TBIN

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Kompong Pluk Floating Village

Erin — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 09:18:35 +0000

When we went to Cambodia, our driver, Sarat, suggested we go check out this little floating village on our last day in Siem Reap. Since we’d visited most of the Angkor temples and it was only about 2:30pm, he offered to drive us about 40 minutes or so outside of Siem Reap to this little river that feeds into Tonle Sap Lake and is the home of local fisherman. He had said it was only a 20 minute drive, but it ended up taking us about 40 minutes to go the 10.5 miles in our little tuk-tuk. The drive out to Kompong Pluk was nice. We got to see quite a bit of the real Cambodia as opposed to what life is like around tourist attractions. This is a typical method of product transportation: hitch something to the side of a scooter. Bicycle shops are like gas stations in the US: one on every corner. Children and puddles: love affair that crosses the continents. Traditional Cambodian houses After our lovely 40-minute tour of some Cambodian rural areas, we made it to the entrance. After paying the entrance fee and driving for another few minutes, we made it to our boat! The chair he’s holding onto is what he put in the water to help us get onto the boat. Wasn’t super fun getting all muddy from the water, but in the end it was worth it. The part of the river where we started our tour was so narrow that we ended up getting run into by another boat who was also starting down the river. Our driver and the other driver yelled at each other for a few minutes and then we got back on our way. It was a little awkward being followed by a cranky boat driver who was giving us the stink eye for several minutes, but eventually that boat slowed down and we were able to put some distance between us. We saw a lot of fun things on our boat ride. The way rural Cambodians live is so different from anything I’d ever imagined. There were children playing everywhere while their parents gave boat tours. Some were clothed, some were not. Many children joining their parents for a fishing trips. It was fun watching them play and learn how to fish. Most of the houses on the banks are high on stilts to protect them when the tide rises. It’s pretty amazing that the water gets that high. The hand-made houses are suspended by 16-foot stilts above the water. During the rainy season (June to November) the water level rises to just about the height of the structures. The best time to go, however, is in December or January when the water level drops and you witness temples and schools balancing on thick, wooden trunks. This is Kompong Pluk. Well, part of it. The village spans the river and then part of it going out onto the lake. There are over 3,000 people living at Kompong Pluk, a name which means “Harbor of the Tusks”. I’m curious where the name came from, but nobody was able to tell me. Many of those who live here are fisherman, but some also farm. There is no running water in the village so the residents rely on the water in the lake for all their washing and cooking needs. They have what they need to get by and it was really interesting to see what life was like around the world centuries ago. Holy bananas! That baby can climb! There were so many tiny kids crawling up and down ladders. Parents in the US would be pitching a fit and getting social service involved. This is just their way of life here. I love how kids here can have so much fun without technology and the internet. It was neat seeing the bonds they’ve created with each other. If you want to stay out here, you can sleep and eat at Tonle Sap Guest House & Restaurant, though the restaurant isn’t shown. It’s floating further down the river. This is the restaurant. I wanted to see what kind of food they had, but we didn’t have time to stop and check it out. There is a point where they pull up to a floating wooden pathway so tourists can pay to be guided through the mangrove forest on wooden walkways. We were short on time, so we opted not to do the mangrove tour. Most people wash their laundry in the river and hang it up to air dry. Even though the river looks dirty, it’s actually pretty clean when the boats aren’t stirring the sit up. One of the things I learned is that during the dry season (which is when we went), many residents of Kompong Pluk will build these floating houses to spend more time fishing on the lake and then will come back to the houses on stilts when the water rises. The last little bit of foliage before getting to the lake. Tonle Sap Lake. This is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia. There are more than 100 varieties of waterbirds in this lake, including several threatened and endangered species, and over 200 species of fish. You will also find crocodiles, turtles, macaques, otter, and other wildlife that inhabit the inundated mangrove forests. The lake is also an important commercial resource, providing more than half of the fish consumed in Cambodia. The tour continues out into the center of the lake where you float around for a while and then goes to another section to see floating shops and other touristy stuff. It was late and we had to get back to our hotel so we could shower, pack and make it to our night bus, so we spent a few minutes on the lake before heading back up the river. I love how serene this woman looks. I thought it was neat that they have a floating clinic. Instead of taking an ambulance to the clinic, the clinic can come to you. I thought it was pretty neat that they have a school there. I had thought kids would need to go into town for school. It’s nice they have their own school in the village. Visitors are encouraged to bring school supplies to donate for the students. We didn’t know that beforehand, so we didn’t have anything other than money to give. They’ll take that, too, but it’s more convenient to donate school supplies so they don’t have to go into town to purchase them and then bring them back. I just love the expression on this father’s face. Right after I shot this picture, he gave the biggest smile and kissed his little girl. It was so adorable. Our guide told us this is one of the old tour boats. It would have been kinda cool to get a tour in that one. I love the roof. Troy and I couldn’t come to a consensus on what this little girl is doing. I think she’s washing dishes. Troy thinks she’s playing. What do you think? Fixing the ladder. No matter where you go, guys have long lists of ‘fix-its.’ Working on the nets. This looked like it was really hard work. Another little climber. It’s amazing how good these little guys are at such a young age. I love how ornate the buildings are. I believe this one is a government building. This is the police station. Our last view of the village as we went back up the river. This was our awesome tuk-tuk driver, Sarat, coming to help us climb off the boat. He was, hands down, the best tour guide and driver we’ve ever had. I really loved our time in Kompong Pluk. It was humbling seeing the different way of life people live in other countries. In the US, sometimes we get so caught up with not having the latest phones or the fastest computer or the nicest car or being able to go out to eat whenever we want, but even just having a phone or a car or a computer or having food in our cupboards makes us so much better off than many other places in the world. We are so blessed in the US. I hope I never forget that or take it for granted.

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Top 5 Temples in Bangkok

Erin — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 15:00:17 +0000

Bangkok: A city filled with wonder and an idea that brings to mind an ancient world of foreign fantasy. The very name inspires thoughts of curly-toed shoes, golden headdresses and elaborately-designed tunic dresses or exotic, towering temples covered in gold. Just about everyone dreams of visiting Bangkok and experiencing that ancient world for themselves. It’s no wonder that this fascinating city has such a hypnotic pull on citizens from all over the world. Bangkok was first recorded as existing in the early 15th century, though it is speculated to be much older than that. The problem with having that much history and that much time to create enchanting structures to honor the past and the present is that there is just too much to do in one trip. Too many temples, too many museums and too many shrines. How is one to know which are worth visiting and which can be put off until a future visit? To help you with this question I have compiled a list of temples that will give the discerning traveler a wide variety of cultural experiences while visiting Bangkok. We were in Bangkok for five days and visited 14 temples along with many other sites in that time. We were up before dawn, back at the hotel after dark and going non-stop every single day. We wanted to see as much as we possibly could! Since this mode of travel is not for everyone, I decided to share with you my top temple picks for having an enjoyable, leisurely trip to the most visited city in the world. Wat Arun, The Temple of the Dawn If there is no other temple you visit while in Bangkok, visit Wat Arun. Wat Arun has been around since around 1768. Before the temple that is currently there, there were two other temples, Wat Makok and Wat Chaeng, which is what some of the locals still call this magnificent structure. It was an early morning walk by the ruins of the previous Wat Chaeng that inspired King Taksin to design Wat Arun in 1768. In the mid-1800s, Kings Rama II and Rama III made modifications to the temple to make it as it appears today. HOURS – 8:30 to 5:30. PRICE – 50 Baht LOCATION – There are several ways to get to Wat Arun. The easiest would be to take a taxi, but if you want to get there a more unique way, you can take a river boat from Sapphan Taksin boat pier to pier 8. From here you can hop a small shuttle boat to get to the other side of the river. Or, you can do a Chao Phraya River Tour and either have that boat dock at the Wat Arun pier or just get off there. There is a 20 baht fee to alight at the Wat Arun pier. Wat Traimit, The Temple of the Golden Buddha Wat Traimit is pretty cool. This temple was built in 2010 specifically to house the world’s largest solid gold statue which is estimated to have been made around the 13th-14th centuries. This temple doesn’t have the same ‘awe factor’ as some of the older temples do since it is so much newer, but it’s hard to press that point when inside lies something of a marvel in and of itself. The golden statue enshrined in Wat Traimit stands 9.8 ft tall and is valued at about $250 million. Good luck trying to steal it, though. The statue weighs 5.5 tons. HOURS – 8:30 to 5:00. PRICE – 40 Baht for the temple and 100 baht for an exhibition about the history of the Golden Buddha on the second floor. We opted not to do that, so I cannot say whether or not the exhibit is worth the price. Several reviews on TripAdvisor say it is interesting and informative, so it could be, depending on how much you like learning about history. 😉 LOCATION – The easiest way to get to Wat Traimit is by taxi or tuk-tuk. Wat Ratchanatdaram Worawihan and Loha Prasat Monastery, The Temple of the Royal Niece and The Metal Castle This temple was a bit of a fluke visit. We passed it on the way back from Wat Saket and were fascinated by the 118 foot tall structure, which turned out to be a monastery. The temple portion of this complex was begun in 1846, but it wasn’t completed until during the early 20th century and received it’s name because it was built by King Rama III for his niece, Princess Mom Chao Ying Sommanus Wattanavadi, the future wife and queen consort of King Rama IV. The monastery was begun shortly thereafter and was originally intended to be a small temple, but it blossomed into the magnificent meditation chamber and residence for the monks that it is today. Atop the monastery there are 37 spires which represent the 37 virtues toward enlightenment. As the brochure for Loha Prasat states, there were only three monasteries ever built with metal roofs and this one is the last remaining. What is really fascinating about the monastery (aside from the architecture) is the maze of corridors inside. They really are fun to wander around and down each hallway is something new and interesting, whether it be beautiful shrines, a variety of statues, text carved into the walls or plaques telling interesting facts. We had a lot of fun wandering around this ‘castle’ and visiting the temple on the grounds. In 2005 Loha Prasat was submitted to UNESCO for consideration of becoming a future UNESCO Heritage Site. HOURS – 8:30 to 5:00. PRICE – The temple grounds are free, but there is a 20 baht ‘donation’ box by the entrance. There was nobody watching it when we were there, but I’d recommend donating since the entire complex is well worth the donation. LOCATION – Wat Ratchanatdaram Worawihan can be found at the intersection between Ratchadamnoen Klang and Maha Chai Road. There is no public transit stop nearby, so the best way to get here is by using a taxi or a tuk-tuk. Wat Saket, The Golden Mount Wat Saket is possibly the oldest temple complex in all of Bangkok. This temple dates back to the Ayutthaya period, which lasted from 1350-1767. The temple has been renovated several time with the most recent being in the early 1900s. We really enjoyed visiting this temple. The walk up the hill (213 steps) provides some beautiful views of Bangkok along with various little gems along the way. There are several nooks and crannies in the wall supporting the structure filled with a variety of mini shrines, statues, carvings and flora. If you pay attention, you will find a few short pathways that lead off the main path and provide some pretty scenery and nice views. One of the really nice things about this temple is the feeling of peace and serenity that pervades the grounds. You will also love the panoramic views of the city. HOURS – 8:30 to 5:00. PRICE – The temple grounds are free, but there is a donation box at the top of the hill. Nobody monitors if you put in a donation or not, but it would be polite to put some baht in there as a thank you for letting visitors in. LOCATION – The easiest way to get to Wat Saket is by taxi or tuk-tuk, though you can also take a water taxi, which will drop you a short 5-minute walk from the temple. Wat Phra Kaew, The Temple of the Emerald Buddha The final temple on my list is found inside the Grand Palace complex. The Grand Palace was built in 1782 with Wat Phra Kaew being finished in 1785. The Emerald Buddha was brought to the Grand Palace when it was completed in 1782 and then moved to the temple when it was finished. There are various legends surrounding the Emerald Buddha with no concrete date as to when it was actually made, though some of the legends place it as being made in India 500 years after Lord Buddha reached nirvana, though nobody knows exactly when that was. Another legend shows it as existing in the lands that are now Cambodia during 457AD. During the proceeding centuries, it changed hands several times before landing in present-day Laos for several hundred years before Rama I became king of what is now Thailand and brought the statue to Wat Phra Kaew. There are several disputations to these legends, some say it was made in Sri Lanka while other say it was made in Thailand in the 14th century. Will we ever know for sure where it came from? Probably not. It’s still fun to think about, though. Another tidbit about the statue: it is not actually made of emerald. It’s true stone is jade. Why is it called emerald? Well, because the word emerald in Thai means deep green color. The actual complex of Wat Phra Kaew is quite grand. There are over 100 buildings and each is very ornate and beautiful. We spent several hours wandering around and taking it all in. I think one of my favorite parts of the temple was the scaled model of Angkor Wat. Very neat. There are other fascinating sights at Wat Phra Kaew and I recommend setting aside at least two hours to visit this temple. We were there for two and a half hours and didn’t get to see it all, but that’s because we were trying to photograph just about everything and didn’t realize it was as big as it was. Eventually, it closed and we had to leave. So, if you just like to go and wander without taking many pictures, about two hours should be fine. If you like to take lots of pictures, maybe give yourself three or more hours. HOURS – 8:30 to 3:30 – We arrived around 1pm and it was VERY crowded. I’d recommend arriving in the morning as soon as it opens. PRICE – The cost for this temple and the palace grounds is 400 baht. This price also include a ticket to The Pavilion of Regalia and a ticket for the Vimanmek Mansion Museum, which is offsite and can be used within 7 days. LOCATION – You can take the BTS skytrain to the Saphan Taksin station or you can take the Chao Phraya Express Boat (no flag, an orange flag, or a green flag) to Pier 9 (Tha Chang). If you don’t want to worry about the hassle of figuring out which boat or dealing with train changes, you can always ride a tuk-tuk or take a taxi. TIPS FOR VISITING THE GRAND PALACE They are very strict about respectful attire and will refuse to let you in if you are wearing shorts, a short skirt, a sleeveless and/or see-through shirt. If you are wearing anything like that, you will be required to either change or rent appropriate coverings. We didn’t like the price of the sarongs inside the grounds, so we went outside to where there were shops and people on the street renting clothes. I would not recommend doing this. If you want to buy something from a shop, go for it, but be wary of people on the side of the street renting clothing. We rented some pants for Troy and received a numbered ticket to receive our 100 baht deposit back, but when we came out after the temple closed, she was long gone. So, you should either dress appropriately or bring something to cover up with. They also require you to be wearing socks when walking around the complex, no bare feet allowed. Conclusion and GPS My City Giveaway Bangkok truly does have many fascinating and enchanting temples and a trove of cultural history. I wish everyone could see all of the beautiful temples Bangkok has to offer. On a short trip, though, these are my recommendation for must-see spots. The temples I have listed are the ones I feel will provide a person with the greatest opportunity to experience a variety of architectural styles as well as the possibility of learning the most about the Thai people, their history and their love of their Buddhist culture. Another way you can make sure you’re maximizing your experience is by...

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30 Things To Do In Kuala Lumpur

Erin — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 23:28:34 +0000

Kuala Lumpur is a great city to visit. I absolutely love it there and think everyone should visit at least once in their lives. There is a lot of history in KL and quite a lot of unique things to see, though it’s not always easy to figure out what those things are. When we first moved to KL and were looking for things to do, the most common things found were KL Tower, Petronas Tower and Batu Caves. While these things are fun and worth doing, there is sooooooooooooooooo much more to do there. So, to help you have a full experience of the neat things in Kuala Lumpur, I’ve compiled a list of things to do in six different categories. Whether you are visiting for a week or two or there for a quick weekend layover, here are some interesting things to spend your time on. WILDLIFE & OUTDOORS BUKIT LAGONG RESERVE RAINFOREST AND CANOPY WALK This place is was started as a plant research center back in 1992 and is now a famous preserve that spans 3,775 acres. There are easy paths to wander around with four jungle treks for those looking for more of a challenge. In the forest are rivers, waterfalls, the remnants of an old Orang Asli settlement as well as a plethora of trees, bamboo, plants and wildlife. You can walk, jog, picnic, bicycle, bird-watch and visit an insect house and herbal botanic garden. If heights don’t bother you, there is also a canopy walk that takes you 98 feet above the forest floor. For preservation reasons, only 250 people are allowed on the canopy per day, 200 advance tickets and 50 walk-in. To reserve your canopy tickets, email FRIM One Step Centre at frim_enquiry@frim.gov.my. As a side note, Malaysia gets pretty hazy at certain times during the year, which results in the reserve closing. Please check here for the daily API readings (posted at 7am) before heading to the reserve. If the API readings are above 150 for Batu Muda, Kuala Lumpur, the reserve will be closed. HOURS – 9:30am-1:30pm, closed Monday and Friday – advanced booking required PRICE – RM10 Adults, RM1 Children. There are also camera fees for professional equipment. LOCATION – The reserve is located NW of Batu Caves in Northern KL. If you want to take a taxi, I’d recommend going to KL Sentral and purchasing a taxi coupon. This ensures that the driver cannot overcharge you. If you want to hail a taxi, be sure the drive turns the meter on. You can also take the KTM Komuter from KL Sentral to Kepong Sentaral Station. Kepong Sentral Station is AFTER Kepong Station. From there you can get a taxi for about RM 7. Just be sure the driver uses the meter. KUALA GANDAH ELEPHANT SANCTUARY We really enjoyed our trip to Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary. This place is an elephant rescue where elephants who are injured in the wild or are damaging farmlands can stay until they’ve either healed or a new home can be found for them. They have a video where you can learn more about what they do, an exhibit about elephants and the history of elephants in Malaysia along with beautiful grounds to wander around. Oh, and a small restaurant where you can get ice cream, snacks and drinks. As for the actual elephants on site, you cannot ride them, but you can feed them and watch them play in the water before the handlers do a small demonstration (maybe about 5-7 min). Then you can feed them again. Be sure to bring a snack for the elephants as the provided fruit gets snatched up quickly. I would allow at least half a day for this destination. HOURS – 9:00am-4:45pm PRICE – Donation LOCATION – The sanctuary is located by Lanchang, Pahang, and is about a 2 hour drive. To get there, drive on the Karak Highway towards the east coast and exit at Lanchang. There are signs that will show you which way to go. These are the GPS coordinates if you’d like to use those: 3˚ 35’34.4”N and 102˚ 08’37.7”E. You also can reach the center by train if you stop at Bandar Jengka or Termeloh and take a taxi from there. if you choose the train and taxi route, add an extra hour each way to your travel time. LAKE GARDENS PARK This park is also known as Taman Tasik Perdana or Perdana Botanical Garden. I really love Lake Gardens Park and went there several times while living nearby. There is a beautiful lake with walking trains, bike paths, covered pavilions to sit under, picnic tables, benches, pavilions in trees, meticulously sculptured gardens, several play areas with large toys for kids and there are several animal exhibits, though those cost to get in. BUT, you can still see the deer through the fence and can feed them if they come near. There is also a cafe, public restrooms (pay to use), bike rentals (RM3 for 30 min) and a trolley tour of the park (RM2 for adults, RM1 for children). Duration of your visit depends on what all you want to do. For a quick tour, 1-2 hours. For a leisurely visit, 3-4 hours. HOURS – 7:00am-8:00pm PRICE – Free for the park, entrance fees for extraneous attractions. LOCATION – 10-minute walk from KL Sentral, minutes from the Bird Park and the National Museum, right next door to Tun Abdul Razak Memorial House. Taxi is the best way to get there if you don’t want to walk from KL Sentral. KL BIRD PARK While a bit on the pricier side, this is a nice place to visit. There is a lot of wildlife around the park along with lovely landscaping and beautiful plants. There are a number of bird feeding demonstrations throughout the day along with a full-on bird show. We didn’t get to see the bird show, but I’ve heard it is quite entertaining. If you want to get up close and personal with some of the birds, you can purchase a ticket to get a photograph with birds perched on your shoulders and head. And for the learning part, there is an indoor informational section that teaches about the different bird species and the area. Plan to spend 1-2 hours. HOURS – 9:00am-6:00pm PRICE – RM48/25 Adults, RM38/12 Children (lower prices are for those with a MyKad ID card) LOCATION – 15-minute walk from KL Sentral, minutes from the Lake Gardens Park and the National Museum, just up the street from Tun Abdul Razak Memorial House. Taxi is the best way to get there if you don’t want to walk from KL Sentral. CHILLING FALLS We had a lot of fun at Chiling Falls. The hike isn’t too strenuous, but the water does get waist-deep on a 6′ adult and can be a little fast at times, so if you’re not steady on your feet, you may just want to hike the first little bit. If you’re ready for a muddy hike through lots of foliage and crossing rivers, you won’t be disappointed. This hike is beautiful and very worth it. The pool under the lower waterfall is deep enough to swim in and there are monkeys that hang out there sometimes. Wear sturdy shoes, bring bug spray and a small backpack with water and snacks. The drive is about 1.5 hours each way and the hike takes about 3 hours roundtrip (excluding stops), so plan on this taking at least 6 hours. HOURS – 8:00am-6:00pm, Friday-Sunday PRICE – RM1 per person LOCATION – This hike is located inside the Sungai Chiling Fish Sanctuary. If you go to Kuala Kubu Bharu (do NOT go to Kuala Kubu Baru) and then continue on to Fraser’s Hill (Bukit Fraser), you will pass Selangor Dam and reservoir. Shortly after passing Selangor Dam you will cross a small steel bridge. There is a parking area on your left just after the bridge and the entrance to the park is on the right side of the road. Back to Top MUSEUMS ISLAMIC ARTS CENTER The Islamic Arts Center is pretty great. It is currently the largest Islamic museum in SE Asia and houses over 7,000 artifacts. They have a revolving exhibition in one section and a static exhibition in the rest of the complex. The revolving exhibit when we were there was about the history of Malaysia’s independence from Great Britain. The static exhibits showcase ancient Islamic seals, miniature replicas of Islamic buildings from around the world, beautiful Arabic manuscripts, wall carvings, mosaics, metalwork, qur’ans, prayer books, room replicas from the ancient Ottoman empire, portraits, ancient trinkets, swords, jewelry, armor, glassware, chess boards and clothing. There are so many amazing things to look at there. And there’s a cafe as well as a gift shop, so you can rest a bit before buying something to bring home to remind you of your visit. 🙂 The time you spend depends on whether you want to go for the experience or to learn about the culture. If you just want to make a cursory tour of the place, plan about 1.5-2. If you want to REALLY look at the stuff and read about it, I’d plan maybe 3-4 hours. HOURS – 10:00am-6:00pm PRICE – RM14 for adults, children 6 & under are free LOCATION – The Islamic Arts Museum is about a two-minute walk from the National Mosque, about 10 minutes from Lake Garden Park and about 5 minutes from the Bird Park. To get there, you can take a taxi from anywhere or you can take the KTM Kmuter to the Kuala Lumpur stop and then either walk or take a taxi. It’s about a 5 minute walk from the station. TUN ABDUL RAZAK HOUSE They completely remodeled this place while we were there and I have to say that it looks really nice. All the rooms are set up with authentic period furniture with interactive touch screens that give quite a bit of information. There are also signboards with pictures and additional information. It’s really quite well put-together and is worth a short visit. Plan to spend about 30-45 minutes there. HOURS – Tue, Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun: 10:00am-5.30pm, Fri: 10:00am – 12:00pm, 3:00pm – 5.30pm, Closed on Mondays PRICE – Free LOCATION – Adjacent to Lake Garden Park. 1-2 minutes from the Bird Park. To get there, you can take a taxi from anywhere or you can take the KTM Komuter to the Kuala Lumpur stop and then either walk or take a taxi. It’s about a 5-10 minute walk from the station. NATIONAL MUSEUM This museum is pretty fun. It has a lot of neat cultural items and an entire building dedicated to replicas of ancient houses, tools, weapons and daily use items. The museum is a decent size and has exhibits dedicated to early Malaysian civilizations, the development of the Malay kingdoms, what life was like during the Colonial era and important events since Malaysia became independent in 1957 along with an outdoor exhibit of various modes of transportation from throughout Malaysia’s history. There is a gift shop and a cafeteria on-site. Plan to spend 1-2 hours here. HOURS – 9:00am-6:00pm PRICE – RM5 Adults, RM2 Children 6-10, Free Children under 6 LOCATION – Short walk from KL Sentral. To get there you can walk over a freeway overpass (not as dangerous as it sounds, I did it several times) or you can take a taxi or RapidKL bus No.115 (RM2 per day). This is also a stop on the Hop-On Hop-Off Tour, so you can get there that way as well. KUALA LUMPUR CITY GALLERY This place is pretty neat. It may be small, but it’s worth a quick stop if you’re in the area. There is a small exhibit on the history of the city as well as information about important historic places around town. There are some really old maps of the city, scale-model buildings, a seasonal exhibit corner and a scale-model light-up city that has a short demo reel along with some other really interesting things. The demo reel with the light-up city lasts about 2 minutes and...

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Visiting the Great Wall of China

Erin — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 00:50:24 +0000

I’ll tell you now, before I get into my post, that this post has a LOT of pictures. I hope you enjoy my journey along the top of the Great Wall of China! To pick up where my last post left off, after we hung up with Kevin we wandered around the Beijing Olympic Stadium for a while. The tour company called us several times, asking if we wanted them to come get us, where we were, what had upset us (haha, that one was funny) and if we could work out a deal. We weren’t about to tell them where we were and we definitely didn’t want to attempt another ride with them, so we just kept waiting on Kevin to call us back. And goofing off. I mean, even if we’re somewhat stranded in the middle of Beijing and a bit stressed out from our day going so crazy, we can still have fun, right? After about an hour Kevin called us and said he’d found someone who could take us to the Great Wall. The price would be 600RMB and there would be no superfluous stops along the way. We were ecstatic to have a ride to the Wall, regardless of the price increase, and quickly went to where he said his friend would meet us. He was there when we got there and within minutes we were on our way. I feel terrible that none of us remember his name, but I think part of it was that we were all so frazzled and stressed about the morning’s events. He was really nice, so I’m sure he will forgive us. From this point on, though, almost everything went just the way we wanted it to. Kevin’s friend was really great. He drove us straight to the Great Wall and chatting with us along the way. He was very nice and very friendly and, most importantly, didn’t try to con us out of any money. After an hour of driving and feeling more relaxed than we had all day, we arrived at the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. While the Great Wall was first begun around 700 BC, the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall was built during the 6th century AD. After a few hundred years it began to crumble and in 1569 this section of the wall was repaired with some parts being entirely rebuilt. On the east lies the Gubeikou section and on the west is the Juyongguan Pass. Of all the sections of the Great Wall, the Mutianyu section is the best-preserved, most unique and had the largest scale of construction, though it is one of the lesser-visited areas. After a quick lunch and figuring out a game plan, we took off to ascend the Great Wall. We’d considered climbing the stairs up to the top, but there are over 4,000 of them. As in-shape as we are, 4,000 steps in a row is a lot and we didn’t want to wear ourselves out before we’d seen anything. What’s the point of using all of our energy getting up the wall and then not having any left to explore it? So, up the chair lift we went and got to see our first view of the Wall. The first thing I noticed about the wall when we got to the top is how level it is not. You’d think the Great Wall would be flat with gentle grades, but it’s really quite steep at some parts. Honestly, by the end of the day I was thinking they should change the name from The Great Wall of China to The Great Staircase of China. Seems more fitting, considering how many steps you have to climb.The entirety of the Great Wall, including branch-offs, spans roughly 13,171 miles. The Mutianyu section is the longest section of the Great Wall and runs about 14 miles in length. No, we did not walk the entire thing. lol. The section we visited is flanked by two “no-tourist” areas, so it is only 1.5 miles in length. But that’s a little misleading because if you take the chairlift up, it deposits you a little over a quarter of a mile from the end. If you want to walk the entire thing, you have to go all the way to the right for about .3 miles and then go the full 1.5 miles the way to the other end. If you choose to go down the tobaggan ride just past the end (the tower just before the wall cuts left and goes straight up), that’s another .06 miles, so in reality you end up doing 1.86 miles if you go from one end to the other. We decided to go back down where we came up, so including the 1.2 mile backtracking, we did about 3 miles overall. It wasn’t too bad. A bit hot, but we had hats and plenty of water, so we were fine. In addition to the main wall, there are various offshoot sections that have not been repaired and are off limits to tourists. Some you can walk down and others you can’t. Someone wanted to make sure the world knew they were here. Vandalism? Or a 6th century version of writing your name in cement?Overall there are 23 watchtowers that dot the top of the Wall. They are spaced roughly 328 feet (100 meters) apart. The interior of the watchtowers seems sparse now, but I imagine there were tables, wall hangings, cots, a warm fire, maybe a rug or two and other bits of comfort for those who had to live here.The neverending stairs of the Great Wall of China. Seriously. There were more stair sections than flat sections on the wall.When I see how dense the forest is around the Wall, it makes me wonder why anyone would want to attack through this area and how people on the wall could see the attackers in the forest. Maybe that’s why this section is the best preserved? It had the fewest number of attackers and therefore the least damage?Getting to the top of the watchtowers isn’t too hard. While it’s possible to walk across the slant to get up there, they’ve blocked that part off so you can only go up via the stairs inside the watchtower.This is Zheng Guan Tai Pass. This layout of three towers, as well as the interior connection of the towers, is something that is only seen at this section of the wall. For some reason, I didn’t get any shots of the actual pass itself, just shots with the pass off to the side. Oh well. It’s not a terrible shot.The hidden red door! We climbed down an area that I don’t think we were supposed to and found this red door. Not sure where it goes, but I thought it was kinda cool. Perhaps it’s a magical door that takes people to Narnia! Now I’m sad we didn’t try to open it. 🙁 One thing I found curious about the wall was the shift and tilt. It would be flat one moment and then sharply angled within a few steps. With as masterful as the Chinese are with their buildings, I’m sure this wasn’t an accident or the result of careless construction. Can’t find anything about it online, so I’m curious about why the level of the wall changes so much.Looking back at where we started. We began at a landing just to the right of where I took this picture and then climbed up to the watchtower at the top of the hill before turning around and coming back towards the opposite end. It’s about .3 miles from this point to the far tower.Far off remnants of fortification branches.One of the interesting facts I learned about the Great Wall is that the Mutianyu section was designed with defensive fortifications on both sides of the wall. The battlements have merlons (crenellated parapets) and arrow loops on both the interior and exterior of the watchtowers and the ramparts.Signal towers dot the mountains near the wall.Seeing the views from the watchtowers, I think I would have been okay with living there.The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall was built mainly with granite instead of the brick, tile, limestone and rammed earth that make up other parts of the wall. This is one of the reasons that it is the best-preserved section of the Wall.This is more of what I had imagined the top of the wall to be like: smooth and flat with sloping curves. Not the mountain of stairs we ended up climbing. Interestingly, the Wall varies between 23-26 feet high and 13-17 feet wide. I had expected it to be tall (which it is), but hadn’t expected it to be so wide. It’s wide enough that two small cars could drive past each other in some parts! Almost to the end! The tower in the upper left corner is where we turned around and went back. We could have gotten down off the wall by that watchtower, but we wanted to go back down by where our driver was waiting for us. Sometimes it felt like the Wall was never going to end. lol The mountains in this area are just beautiful. I would love to go back in the fall and see how fiery the mountains become when the leaves change colors. So close! And this was the end. The last tower of our journey. If we pressed on and went through the tower, we would have ended up at an area where people could ride down to the bottom of the mountain. But that’s not what we wanted to do, so we turned around and trekked back to where we started. With all of our stops for pictures and such, it took us about two and a half hours from the time we got off the chair lifts until we reached this tower. On the way back to the start, we came across this sign. It reads: Founded in 1404, number 14 tower was [a] border command post at that time. Though these tower[s] were in different shapes, such as a broad bedroom in the middle, its circumference was surrounded by corridors–. gyrus shaped is the common feature.” According to Miriam-Webster online, a gyrus is “a convoluted ridge between anatomical grooves”. Anyone want to take a guess at what the sign is trying to say? We also went down to explore this tower. It looked like all the rest of them. lol No clue what this sign means. Google has come up empty.Almost back to the beginning. In the cradle of the mountains you can see a valley with a small village in it. That is Mutianyu Village and before the Wall became a popular tourist destination, this village was struggling. Even though the Mutianyu section is one of the lesser-visited sections, there are enough tourists here each year to keep the village solvent. There’s even a resort there now. I can’t find anything out about this guy, but he is pretty cool. And, of course, while we were there we had to have photos of us at the Wall. This one was at the beginning when we walked to the end closest to where the chair lifts dropped us off. I’m only a little bit sweaty at this point. Gah. I am SOOOOOO glad Troy doesn’t have this awful goatee anymore. The one he has now is trimmed and well-kept. This was about halfway from the end where our first picture was taken to the far peak where we could go no further. As you can see, I’m very VERY sweaty. lol. It was August and very hot with high humidity. We were very happy we had lots of water in our backpacks.Getting up the Wall we rode a chair lift. We could have done that on the way down, but decided it would be so much more fun if we rode the tobagan! I took this video of my ride down the slide. Towards the end you can hear me yell at someone to slow down....

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