Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Climbing the Wall















The Great Wall of China was built 2500 years ago to keep out intruders. It was a military installation, never intended for climbing by middle aged people like me and Joe. But climb it, we did.
We didn't even use the tram that takes you part way up.

Hand rails have been installed, and the brick work has been refurbished periodically. But the thing is half a mile high; the steps are uneven; and you have to crawl in places. Definitely not recommended for anyone who dislikes heights or has bad knees.

Chinese folk wisdom says that to live a heroic life, you must climb the great wall. Well we're not trying to be heroes, but how could anyone come to China and not climb the great wall?

2 comments:

quig said...

Love birds on the wall of china... that could be the beginning of a country western song... We are happy to have Joe back, but we want you back too....

Roz Raymond Gann said...

Miss you.

What does tomorrow mean? It is 5:30 pm here, but at home it’s 5:00 in the morning. I leave Weihai tomorrow and make a stop in Beijing. ...