GREAT WALL and BEIJING – We got an early start to drive out to the Great Wall. We joined the Wall at Mutianyu, about an hour and a half’s drive from central Beijing. A few things to note about the Great Wall. It’s crowded with Chinese tourists so go early. It’s really up and down, and in some places high and steep. Come prepared for a vigorous walk. I suffer from vertigo so there was one very steep and narrow segment that I skipped (rather than risk freezing and creating a problem for myself and others. Maria did it all and considered it a good training day for her planned trip to climb Kilimanjaro later this year. The approaches to the Wall are crowded with hawkers and vendors.
With my Leica M9 and a 24mm Summilux lens, shot at f1.4 with the aid of a neutral density filter.
In the afternoon we spent a few hours at the Summer Palace, an extensive network of parks and buildings around a lake on the outskirts of Beijing.
On this day last year: 1211 Park Avenue.
