Chinese Visa

After a few ups and downs I now have my Chinese Visa, ready to embark on my next challenge of walking on the Great Wall. I opted for the quick fix this time when applying for a visa. I engaged a tour office, paid twice the normal fee  and sat back smiling as I didn't have the whole nine yards of paper work to supply. Normally one has to supply endless documentation, copies of flights, accommodation, letter from the school, hotel accommodation etc etc. The tour company handling my visa application failed to pick my passport up from the Chinese Embassy, ironically at the end of my street. Then they forgot to return my Vietnamese residency card. However we three, passport, residency card and self are reunited. Beijing has never been closer and walking on the wall has been one of my aspirations for sometime now. A challenge to be meet! My friend Jenny whom I meet in Hong Kong on the way,  and I have booked a 2 day tour, driving in a side car about 90 kms out of the city away from the touristy parts of the wall. We have lunch with a local family at the foot of the wall and climb......... and savour the views all afternoon. The evening is spent in a local village hotel. I'm excited to be  going out of the city, spending time with some local people and actually taking in some countryside. The photos and the video on the website look magnificent, and one wonders where are all the people? Its autumn in Beijing and temperatures are around 11 to 16 degrees during the day.The golden autumn colours are superb they say. The leaves may be wonderful, but I am left wondering how I will cope with such autumnal temperatures.
There are other challenges to over come on this trip. How to find my Chinese friend and colleague Ella whom I am meeting in Beijing. for coffee All the literature says the MRT / subway, tourist spots and favourite meeting paces tend to be crowded. To a girl from NZ whats crowded?