To carry on reading about this trip, please visit the New York Social Diary website.
To carry on reading about this trip, please visit the New York Social Diary website.
On October 9, 2000, five explorers set out in the middle of the world’s fifth-largest desert, the Taklimakan, as a team to walk the entire length of the Ming dynasty Great Wall of China. After a few weeks, winter set in and the terrain was covered in snow. By March the following year as winter lifted, only one remained – Argentinean explorer and photographer Diego Azubel, who continued to trek alone for another nine months arriving at the East China sea at the end of the following year. This was Diego’s first trek in China. (His second took him across the Tibetan Himalayan mountains and through the Nepalese civil war… don’t ask)
Now married with a trilingual daughter, I asked Diego what it takes to walk the entire length of the Great Wall of China?
Good shoes, and a lot of time!
But as with anything else, you need to be sure that you want to do it. You need commitment. Because these walks, more often than not, take much longer than expected, and test you in ways you probably never experienced before. Also, as opposed to climbing up a mountain where there is only one way up and usually small windows of opportunity when the weather allows you to do the climb, in a long horizontal walk it is very easy to ‘take a detour’ or a break. And when you do, it is harder to come back.
Why did you want to walk the Great Wall of China?
I first came to China in 1997 and left with the intention of coming back. While I was in London editing a story on slavery in Mauritania, an opportunity to walk the Great Wall of China arose, and I felt I had to take it. I had always been the type to take on new adventures, and walking the entire length of the Great Wall of China sounded very attractive.
How does the Great Wall inspire you?
I love going back to The Great Wall. Whenever I go back I get a feeling of joy when I see it from a distance. It brings back memories. Very nice memories.
During my journey I developed a relationship with ‘her.’ I guess after 15 months of spending every day by The Wall, it would have probably been stranger if I didn’t develop some kind of relationship than if I did. And because I humanized her, talked to her, and sometimes I even thought I heard her talk back, I kind of felt less alone despite being alone. And when I felt tired, both physically and mentally, I felt I wasn’t allowed to complain. Somehow it always reminded me of what it took to build the Wall. Very often I came across graves on the side of the wall, and although these are much newer than the wall they did remind me of the many men and women that died building it. I felt I would be disrespectful to do anything but finish what I had started.
What did you learn from walking the Great Wall?
Many things. The first one that kept popping into my head during the walk was that if I didn’t get up every morning and move my own feet, I was never going to reach the end. If I didn’t move my feet no one was going to move them for me. It is an obvious thought knowing that no one will do it for us if we don’t do it ourselves, but being there and knowing that if I didn’t get up every morning and literally put one foot in front of the other to walk I would probably still be there… it doesn’t get any clearer than that.
What is it about the Great Wall that has captured the attention of the world?
Number one would probably be the old myth that it can be seen from space. But also the fact that there is so much history behind it as well as so many stories, some of which are still being argued as to whether they are true or not. And of course, it is a symbol of China, one that China itself markets very well. So if one comes to China, one will probably schedule a trip to the wall. And like Mao said: he who has not climbed the Great Wall, is not a true man.
You took photos and videos of the Great Wall? Where and how can people see these photos and video?
The photos can be seen on www.thegreatwalk.com and the video was shown on the National Geographic channel a few years ago. It will be available for viewing on thegreatwalk site very soon.
Have you spoken to many groups about this experience? What kind of groups and what has their response been?
I have given talks to various groups of people ranging from explorers festivals to schools to corporate events. So far the response has been very positive, and it is also great for me because I get different questions every time. I can see that people are interested in different things.
My favorite was getting a bunch of questions from a 7 year old boy while I was giving my second talk a couple of months after finishing the walk. It was at an outdoors festival in Birmingham. I could see people looking at me with smiles on their faces but not asking any questions. Then this boy started. Where did you sleep? How many kilometers did you walk? How long did it take you? What did you eat? And after every answer he would go “Wow…’ After a few questions from him, the audience loosened up and began asking him to ask me their questions.
Anyone with an interest in food, wine and entertaining, will be excited that Imperial Tours is offering a 6 night private culinary trip through Shanghai and Hangzhou Nov 27 – Dec 3, 2013 in conjunction with the Park Hyatt Shanghai's annual "Masters of Food and Wine Festival".
The itinerary for two incorporates the following highlights:
• VIP airport meet and greet including Diplomatic Channel access
• 4 Nights at the Park Hyatt Shanghai
• 2 Nights at the Four Seasons Hangzhou
• Contemporary art and expert-led colonial architecture tours of Shanghai
• Private club, West Lake, Buddhist temples and tea specialist tour in Hangzhou
• Champagne class with Ned Goodwin, Master of Wine from Tokyo
• Gala dinner presented by Two Star Michelin Master Chef Jean-Luc Rocha from Chateau de Corbeillan-Bages
• Floral design class by French Master Florist Sebastien Lathuile and Park Hyatt Master Florist Emily Zhou
• Closing gala dinner hosted by Three Star Michelin Chef Anne-Sophie Pic of Maison Pic.
High end foodies will not want to miss this trip! Imperial Tours is able customize this itinerary in any way to suit travelers' needs. For a slightly longer itinerary, we can suggest pairing it with some holiday shopping in either Shanghai or Beijing, or both!
For questions or a copy of the itinerary with pricing, please email Priscilla Tan in our Shanghai office.
Chengdu is a fantastic destination for families. It’s the capital of Sichuan province and home to spicy food, night markets and hot pot. Culture seekers will want to head to a nearby mountain for its Daoist temple where you can learn about fortune telling, alchemy, meditation, and even get to meet a monk and accompany him on his daily routine. For history lovers the Sanxingdui archeological site is not to be missed. First unearthed in 1987, archaeologists discovered a previously unknown, technologically-advanced Bronze Age culture. So much mystery still surrounds the jade, ivory, gold and bronze artifacts excavated here.
Of course, Chengdu’s most famous residents are the Giant Pandas. We recommend visiting the Panda Research and Breeding Centre first thing in the morning when the pandas are feeding; a visit at any other time of the day will afford you a wonderful view of somnolent pandas. Depending on the time of year you visit and the pandas’ breeding schedules, there is opportunity to hold a baby panda, or even spend time in the panda enclosures helping the keepers. What child wouldn’t be excited to spend an hour with pandas!
The Shangri-La Chengdu is offering some wonderful amenities for Imperial Tours clients staying at least 2 nights through the end of August, 2013:
When booking the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund through Imperial Tours, you will receive these special amenities:
And to entice families to visit China this summer, when booking the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund for travel between May 1 and August 31, 2013, families with children under 15 years of age will receive a second room at half price. Shanghai is a great place for children and Imperial Tours has some wonderful Imperial Moments for families:
Contact Us to learn more about the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund or about family travel in China.
While Imperial Tours is primarily known for its luxury private tours, this fall we are offering our Majestic Tour, a 10-night small group tour (maximum 16 people) covering Beijing, Xian, Hangzhou and Shanghai. This is a great way for people who prefer the camaraderie of other travelers to experience must-see China…in style. Highlights include:
The dates are October 10-20, 2013. The price is $8500 per person based on double occupancy. Email Priscilla Tan to request an itinerary and reservation form, suite or first class upgrade pricing, single supplement pricing, or for pre/post hotel stays and touring options.
