Comments on: Back from my Beijing Holiday

By: RunningTracker

RunningTracker — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:46:41 +0000

Five guard towers with a four years-old kid is quite a challenge I guess!

By: Priyancka

Priyancka — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:52:44 +0000

Hmmm.. so you’re famous in China already!! Nice post. Its always interesting to experience a different culture.

By: Eric Wroolie

Eric Wroolie — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:36:02 +0000

@RunningTracker That sounds very cool. We weren't able to go that far on the wall, but I woudl have like to. Our youngest is four years-old, so we weren't able to walk too far with his little legs. We took the cable car and hill train to get to the top of Simatai. We spent about 4 hours up there but only made it to about 5 guard towers. Man, the Great Wall of China is not child friendly! I suppose it would ruin it if it was. But, if I were going to take a small child again, I would bring one of those harnesses you put on babies to keep them from running off. I was a nervous wreck everytime he went near the edge.

By: RunningTracker

RunningTracker — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:11:29 +0000

Nice We also went to Simatai and then we walked to Jinshanling. This was really awesome. Almost 4 hours walking on the great wall. I loved it !

By: Eric Wroolie

Eric Wroolie — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:16:51 +0000

@RunningTracker Hi RunningTracker. Since I decided that I would finally stop making excuses and go to China, it seems like a lot of people are going. It must be that law of attraction I hear so much about. It's strange that you were just there. It's a small world. We went to Simatai for the Great Wall. Everyone kept telling us that Badaling was too crowded. Where did you go?

By: RunningTracker

RunningTracker — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:20:04 +0000

It’s funny, I was in China 3 weeks ago I was not as popular as you were… I was asked to pose for a picture only once ! I enjoyed my vacations *very* much. Which part of the great wall did you see?
Anyway, keep the posts about China coming

By: Eric Wroolie

Eric Wroolie — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:17:12 +0000

@Alex Thanks Alex. The trip really was an experience for them. I hope I get a chance to meet you. I've been following you tweets too.

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:06:01 +0000

An excellent post. I started following your blog when you Twittered Dalian some time ago.

Coming here with kids the first time must be interesting, especially for them. I remember when I was a visitor to Russia at the age of 12, just after the fall of the iron curtain, that the experience was memorable and unique for a kid of that age.

I imagine the feedback of accepting a photo op with a visiting family would attract others. And if you were in Beijing’s major tourist spots, well especially this year with anniversiry celebrations, there will be many rural residents who would be experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime visit, and be really keen to see the manifestation of economic development and opening up: a middle class family with kids visiting their capital, as interested in it as themselves. Were you in a less touristy place the reception would have probably been less overwhelming, but probably quite different from everyday British life all the same.

Dalian isn’t the biggest of cities, but if you’d like an independent nod in the right directions pls email me, it’s interesting watching you blog and seeing a fellow IT bod discover the city.