The (not so) Great Wall of China

I take the hostel owner's recommendation of the Great Wall tour. Her favorite is one of the many on the long list of tours. I'm in no mood to read about each of them so I pick one and pay. The next morning I am up at the crack of dawn and being fed another McMeal. They promised us breakfast! We take the drive up to The Wall which takes about three hours on a huge bus. I meet a girl named Ellie and a guy named Darron. They met in their Beijing hostel, and decided to take this tour together. We all hike up to the wall and begin the 10k treck along the winding dragon.
Now, most of us may imagine the Great Wall to be an easy path to stroll along and enjoy the views from. NO. It's steep with stairs that sometimes look like they lead all the way to heaven, and most often look like they lead directly to hell depending on which way you look at them. Parts of the path are crumblilng because they are from the old wall. I try to forget my recent Sacramento hikiing adventure which eventually lead to the diagnosis and treatment of a broken hand.
I have plenty of people to talk to though, and it is fun chatting with people from around the world. The Israeli boys are my favorite. No shirts, great accents, always friendly, and tan. By the end of this trek we are so exhausted and faced with the option to continue to walk or take the zip line over the water for seven dollars. ZIP LINE.
On the other side we are picked up by a boat and taken to across the water to where a six person van picks up all ten of us. Disgusting and sweaty we pile on top of each other. We are fed meal that tastes like cardboard, but never has anything tasted so wonderful.
Sunburned and exhausted, but with a new experience and a new friend I head back to Beijing city, and pass out in my hostel at 8:30.