A Week Walking The Great Wall of China with Rachael Thomas

 

My previous post here on Traveling with Nasreen was all about my training walks in my local area as I prepared to take on a week trekking along The Great Wall of China raising funds for British Heart Foundation.

In October I took on that challenge and it was an amazing week and our twenty eight strong group raised over £52,000 for the cause.

 

 

 

 

 

 



For five days we trekked along the wall, some parts of it were in good repair and being close to Beijing a popular tourist area, while other parts were what we named, the wild wall. More often than not, we were the only ones on these stretches of the wall.





Whichever part we trekked along, there were many steps up and down to contend with. Some steps were formed of small bricks only just being wide enough to place your foot as well as not being very steep. Others were so tall they needed to be scrambled up. Of course coming down such steps tested not only a fear of heights but our ability to work as a team and help each other.

During the trek we also had the opportunity to explore a Ming tomb. This collection of mausoleums built by the emperors of the Ming Dynasty is vast, but our time spent at was really interesting.

Another big challenge for me was the overnight accommodation which was sometimes very rural and basic, with only limited amounts of hot water for showers. Although, once we returned to the city of Beijing itself after the trek there was plenty of hot water! The local food prepared for us each evening was interesting and during my trip I mastered the art of chopsticks.

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On our final day, we had a tour of Beijing, which was crammed full of the highlights of Beijing. We enjoyed the peace and tranquillity of The Temple of Heaven and the park area where all the locals gather each morning to do everything from exercise to knitting. Then we had a tea tasting session followed by time bartering in the Pearl Market. After this we went to Tiananmen Square and then onto the Forbidden City.



As the sun set the fun continued with the most spectacular acrobatic show I’ve ever seen and then a celebration meal to round of the trip, where of course we had the famous Peking Duck.

About Rachael Thomas

I love escaping to distant shores with my characters, entering their glamorous world and feeling all the emotions they experience as they discover their love for one another. A love so strong it will overcome all obstacles eventually, leading to that promised happy ever after.

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Valdez's Bartered Bride (Convenient Christmas Brides)

 

Blackmailed into marriage…by Christmas! 

Genealogist Lydia Carter-Wilson is horrified by the debts her father has run up in her name. Then magnate Raul Valdez approaches her with an outrageous proposition. If she helps him claim his inheritance, he'll pay off her debts and save her tarnished reputation. But there's a catch. If she fails, she will marry Raul on Christmas Eve! 

No matter their instant and electrifying attraction, Lydia knows Raul's proposal amounts to blackmail. Yet faced with an impossible choice—risking ruin or becoming Raul's bartered bride—Lydia finds she cannot resist her desire to make a deal with the dark-hearted billionaire!

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