sechundzwanzig-26

2/4/2011

Last day in Beijing today. We must train for better stamina.

Being the last day in Beijing, we went to do what most tourists would come to try-climbing the Great Wall of China. Climbing is an understatement to me, we should say scaling the wall. As we stopped along the way to the entrance, I was amazed by the advancement of Chinese construction. They were able to construct solid barriers out of stone on the mountainous region, 1000+ years ago.

To them, constructing HDB blocks pose no difficulty at all. If they can build a solid wall in the mountainous region, building a block must be a piece of cake.

So we attempted to scale the wall. 

This was where things started to get more interesting. You see, I have just one problem. I get all jumpy whenever I turn behind to see how far I’ve climbed. It gets worse when I remember that the route so far isn’t a straight path but a slanted path upwards. 

To make things easier for me, I walked really slowly so that everyone else would go ahead of me, so I would get distracted by taking photos and forget that I’m climbing a wall where everything seems easier. Until I turn behind occasionally to see anything I missed, then I look down and mentally I’m screaming, but I’m pretending to be a cucumber on the outside. 

I don’t remember panicking so much. But my friends kept pushing me forward, walking behind me (no one walks behind me, because the kid always runs off to take photos of things people walk past) to make sure I wasn’t lost (yes, the tendency to wander off is always there). And when people boost that they have climbed the great wall, I still think they’re lying because they didn’t walk from end to end. I would say I just stepped on it. Climb=walk from end to end. Step=walk one small section.

I would love to do that one day (climbing great wall). Complete with backpack, sleeping bag, walking boots and camera. Wouldn’t that be something? At least the photos will be worth.  Other nitty gritty stuff can wait. 

Also I don’t understand how anyone can make their achievements sound… spectacular. I’m going to laugh at the person who boasted that he/she has climbed the great wall. (Refer to above, specifically 2 paragraphs before this, the last line, do you see it?)

I would like to meet somebody who has done just that. I think that’s something to be proud of. 

Spam texted my mother at night. It’s time to go home.