Alongside my overpriced pineapple beer I had bought Nescafé 3-in-1 coffee sachets, so I definitely didn't need to go downstairs for breakfast today! I also woke up to a message from Tobes that he had passed his fourth exam. Four for four Toby-Woby! The day is starting well and today is the Great Wall day. I must confess, I had the same preconception of the wall as Karl Pilkington. A wall is a wall, no matter how big or long. With an 8:00am departure, the drive to Jinshanling took 7 hours, including a one hour stop for lunch and booze run at a service station en route. The plan was to climb the wall for sunset but unfortunately the weather wasn't in our favour and the sky was all grey cloud. Helen decided that we may as well check in and head straight for the wall. Beers in hand we started our walk to the wall. Passing through souvenir stalls, restaurants and galleries selling original paintings and photos of the wall.

I was so wrong. The wall was so impressive. Stretching as far as the eye can see in two directions, high and solid over the hilltops, with trees and lakes far into the distance. It really was breathtaking. After walking along for fifteen minutes we all took a seat on the wall and appreciated the view. Over time the clouds dispersed and the sun shon through, giving us an unexpected sunset. I can't accurately describe the wall and I definitely can't romanticise it because physically it is just a bloody long wall. But it's very much worth the visit. 

The hotel stopped serving dinner at 8:00pm, so slightly tipsy, at 7:30pm we ran down the wall and the hill to the restaurant in hopes of last orders. 

Happily proved wrong about the wall, we went to bed straight after dinner. However, that isn't cause we wanted to. It's because the restaurant closed and there was nowhere else to go!