Staying in the rice fields
 From Longsheng | Jul 4, 2006 00:07

The Great Wall at Simitai
 From Beijing | Jun 9, 2006 21:06

Great Wall at Simitai | Beijing | Jul 27, 2006 22:05
I am sure that all parts of the Great Wall have their own special features and attributes that make them worth visiting but our trip to Simitai was a wonder in the making. Apart from the bus ride that saw more than 30 people jammed on to our 18 seater bus and the hairy overtaking of the driver, which was an experience in itself, the Wall at Simitai was indeed a stunning sight. It certainly tests your fitness as some parts are extremely steep . This part of the wall is in a more original condition than the likes of Badaling and that in itself is worth seeing. Parts of the wall have crumbled away and there remains only the walkway winding up the very steep terrain of this area. You can see the towers disappearing off in to the distance. There is a real sense of achievement to have walked on this part of the wall and you should not be put off by the long bus ride from Beijing!! From here you can see for absolutely miles and the peace and quiet of the place- due to few tourists and even fewer birds in the area- are hard to match with the bustle that is often seen on other parts of the wall. You can truly make this a leisurely visit to the Great Wall of China. Make sure you take plenty of water as it is a strenuous climb and they charge a fortune for water on the wall! If you have expended all your strength by the time you walk up you can take a serene ride down on the cable car to be confronted by the stalls at the base- a must have I survived the Wall T Shirt can always be bought here!

Kebabs in the muslim quarter | Xian | Jul 27, 2006 21:49
A must do visit in Xi'an is to have kebabs in the evening in the muslim quarter. As evening sets in, the muslim quarter comes alive with a plethora of food stalls creeping out on to the streets. The smell of coal burning is everywhere and the kebabs are a delight not to be missed!! All sorts of meats- watch what you get! The smokey coal taste permeates through the street and the kebabs and they are just delicious! While eating them you will have your own free entertainment as you watch the cooks working over the hot coals and then delivering vast handfuls of seering hot kebabs to the tables- a true delight!!