The AQI was not good. It was in the 200's still so I wore a mask on the way there and back. At the Wall, I did not wear the mask even though the air quality was worse there. I wanted to enjoy the adventure and I just did not worry about the air. We walked to the station, got on the subway, and went to the exchange line 3 stops down. At the exchange line, we exited the subway and walked into an enormous pavilion; the first train station that I had ever been in. There we boarded a train: it was not exactly a speedster. The wall was 60 km west, and it took us about an hour to get there, with three stops. We had to run to catch the train in the station but we made it and got seats!
On the train it was VERY roomy - there was about a meter of space between seats. ON the way there we were facing backwards which I did not like, I was harder to see things out the windows. What I did see out the windows was definitely worth seeing. As we got into more rural places, there were gardens, for food not flowers, that were growing right up to the tracks. They had corn and cucumbers and what looked like pumpkins - I did not see rice though. As we got even farther out, there were mountains and hills that were very pretty. I could not see more then a few hundred feet clearly but the beauty of that area was not diminished by the poor visibility. The mountains were of greenery and rock mixed together, like one sees in the Chinese art. It was very beautiful, and I tried to get a few photos through the train's window. But the windows were not very clean and the photos I took look like they are in a haze.
On the second third stop, we switched directions then went through a tunnel and arrived at the Great Wall station. We exited the train and walked into the area, stopped at a restroom, and bought tickets. We then went into an area and signed some papers certifying that we had been to the Great Wall - which was kind of strange. There was one area with messages from many people who had been to the Great Wall - the messages were on bamboo. We exited and went up to the entrance. The walk from the station to the entrance was about one km. We went in.
It was incredible to say the least. I wished that the air would have been clearer, not necessarily so that I could have breathed easier (which would have been nice) but so that I could have taken a photo and captured the portions that were miles away from the park area of the wall. Here is where my photos need to tell the story; I could not even see half of it, and it was still awesome. There were some very steep slopes on that wall and some serious hills. It would have been fun to do a marathon on it like Lexie (my friend in the States) did.
Walking through the area I got separated for about 1 hour from the people that I came with. I thought that they were ahead of me, turns out they were behind me. I had almost walked to the very end of the place that was open (still miles of it rolling off into the distance) when I turned around and walked back in order to find them. At one of the towers, I looked down and saw them (thank goodness). I then finished walking the Wall with them. We walked the south side of the area that was open. I would love to come back and walk the north side - it looks much steeper.
Once the "end" was reached we walked through the souvenirs place. There were a ton of people with animals that tourists would pay to take a photos with. There was a horse, camel, a musk ox, and peacocks. They were selling roasted corn, and I was kinda hungry. So I made a mistake - the roasted corn here is not sweet corn. It is "normal" starchy corn. I gave it to Yulan's boyfriend; he enjoyed it.
We had to run to catch the 1150 train back. The next one would come at 100. We made it even though the boyfriend ran out of money on his card and quickly had to purchase a ticket. The way that the people on the platform press to get seats was rather savage. They just press forward. I can easily see how people could get trampled in such a press. When that was over, we sat and just kind of dozed on the hour long ride home. I took a few photos. I was trying to get some of the roadside agriculture, but it was moving too fast relative to the train. We got to the station and made our way to the subway and headed back to the dorms.
So ends The Great Wall adventure.
The photos are out of order so bear with me
a Starbuck's (took this one for my Mom)
coming towards The Great Wall
The North side. I will go there the next time that I get the chance to go to this portion of The Great Wall.
Wall in the distance
All the people and the Wall in the distance. Yulan is in the pink hat. The Boyfriend is at the very edge just his face is visible, and Chungli has the backpack.
The Wall
more wall - looking at the north side.
again at the north side
Through one of the arrow slits into the smoggy mountains.
We walked on the south route - this way.
Coming out of one of the towers, looking north
Looking ahead to where we are going.
looking along the outside of the wall to where we are headed.
Looking back at the north 
One can barely see the start to the north route - there is a big white-ish space then a line in the distance - that is the north wall. We had come quite a ways by this time.
This is better for visualizing how far we had come. Notice the white space in the distance; the second section is where we started.
Same white space farther along.
looking ahead
more looking forward
looking out the window of one of the trains
On the signage: "take care oldsters and child"
Looking forward - the second peak in the distance is where we were heading.
more views from the train window
looking on one of the towers
Just past the tower, the wall curves in.
Looking back: the first tower that you see on the left is where I was just at.
This is the peak that was aforementioned; around here I lost my peoples!
The first peak in the photo (six photos ago) is above. They do not allow people to go up there as there is a drop off once the top is reached.
This is taken from the top of the peak: the drop off tower is in the foreground.
The Wall in the distance. This was walked on by me as well.
The Wall on the right side I had come on to get to the point I was at. The faint wall to the left is where I was headed.
same as above.
heading down from the top peak
bad photo of heading down
Recruited someone to take the photo for me of me.
That is the tower that I took the picture of that was used as a reference point some photos ago.
Heading down. Very steep. If it was smooth, it would make one heck of a bike trail.
Me with Wall in the background. I had traversed on that portion of it.
Heading down. I spent some time waiting here because I thought that people who were still missing at this point would catch up with me.
It curved out again to this tower. In that tower there was an area in one of the corners that smelled of urine and feces. There was also shovels there. I think that the workers used that area as a restroom then flung there poo from the tower. It did not exactly smell of roses.
If one looks at the above photo and two above that, the first curve in the center right is where this photo was taken. It is looking back upon the peak where I was just at. The "two above" photo was taken from that flat-ish section of the wall across the way, at a little above my heads height. 
heading down to the smelly tower
looking back up at the peak
At the bottom of the valley on the wall: behind me and up is where the photo of me was taken, up on the left is the smelly tower
taken from the north side of the smelly tower
from the west side, looking over on the trail.
a group of Asian ladies wanted to take a photo with me. They took several on their cameras then I handed my phone for them to take a few on -
a lot of people wanted to take photos with me.
train station
That is the farthest tower that they allow people to walk to.
the mountains
walking up
there it is closer
looking down into the area the wall encloses - that is the tourist area.
looking up at one of the towers across the way. This was the one that I stood in front of for a photo.
The far one is the one that they do not let people go into because it is a drop off.
Me
the last tower
the mountains from the last tower
looking back at the route that I had taken to get there. In the middle of the screen is the tallest tower, the far peak. In the middle of the right side, top and bottom, is the smelly tower.
me with the mountains
looking back again
and again
The peak tower is now on the far right.
That is the north side. 
back again
back again
The smelly tower is in the middle high portion.
That is the last tower - we are walking away now.
The smelly tower is in the left middle.
There is the last tower again.
Out of chronological order - this is the first train.
Last photo: smelly tower is in the background.
me
me
heading out, that is the north side
me on the train with Chungli
the quiche thing that they gave me in the morning - pretty tasty. 
heading out 
concrete railroad ties
mountains
Great Wall approach
off the train
Signs with translations are always interesting - this one reads, "The station carefully road vehicles."
One of the famous emperors.
the sun?
oops
"California beef noodle king USA"
approach of the gates
me in front
The boyfriend and Chungli
Yulan
one of the towers inside
looking out 
the towers were short
The ladder up - no one was allowed up though.
steep stairs
marker - although it is out of order.
Selfie with tower in back - this was when I lost my peeps!
They use a sorghum broom.
steep stairs
Yulan on the edge.
the last tower
Chungli and Yulan
exit
peacocks
They also had bears and fed them carrots. You throw the carrots to them, and if it is a good throw, they can catch it in their mouths. They were quite amusing to watch.
train ride home
mountains on way home
Emergency hammer "emergency using only"
Gardens
After The Great Wall I ate in my room and got this ready, then played ukulele and ate H2O melon which was delectable (like a little slice of home). I went to the restaurant where I had eaten the donkey burgers with Ben and we talked a lot tonight. It was enjoyable to visit with my fellow American. He showed me where an ATM is and showed me some of his project with soybeans.
Headed to bed soon. I will try to go to church in the morning and see if it is indeed Catholic or a Chinese government church. Service starts at nine. The students from Africa are Catholic as well and I hope to go with them.The air has cleared up a bunch here today - comparatively. We are in the 160's right now (versus the 200's). Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to go and get a guitar as well. Good night and blessings to all.
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