We visited the Great Wall today after viewing Mao Zedong's body at the mausoleum. The latter was an interesting affair; they make you check all bags and cameras before going in. Unlike virtually every other spot in China they charge no admission fee, but they do allow you to buy flowers to lay in the room before where his body lies, which many people did. Mao's body is quite visible and looks extremely well preserved (there's a joke/rumor that it's actually wax), though they rush you through the room pretty quickly.
The Great Wall was as tiring to climb as the first time around. Two plus months of walking around Asia has apparently done little for my fitness. We went to Badaling, which is the portion that they take all the diplomats to. It's the most touristy one and also the easiest to get to from Beijing. It's in perfect condition which makes me suspect that very few of the bricks/stones are original.
It turns out that this is a holiday weekend and all the trains to Shanghai were sold out. Fortunately we were able to find a cheap flight so we'll be able to maintain our schedule, more or less. It does mean one more night in our rather spartan Beijing accommodations (four floors below ground level), but it will give us more time to view the Olympic venues tomorrow, and hopefully meet up with a college friend.
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