Trekking the Great Wall...

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“Where's army boy got to?” Michaela (a short feisty brunette from Northern Ireland with huge blue eyes and dimples) asks rolling her eyes. Her and The American have not exactly hit it off – understandable as he seems to have this very American trait of assuming the entire universe actually revolves around him.

When he finds out that the first Great wall tour has been cancelled because its too dangerous to do in the bad weather he gives the poor hostel a bollocking on the phone..

“Well just so you know I have to do the tour tomorrow because i'm leaving Bejing the day after and i'm not leaving without seeing the Great Wall, so you better give me my money back...”

Plus - There really doesn't seem to be any subject that he isn't an authority on.

“Well I gave up a job at Arsenal – a football club – or soccer as you would say...” I begin...

“Here's the thing you should know about that, Soccer is actually a British term and was what the game was originally referred to when it was invented in the 19th century....” etc etc ad infinitum.

He seems to have decided to take Dom under his wing – Dom who is studying econmics at Kings in London is considering strategy consulting – The American obviously finds this promising - lecturing him on a variety of subjects on and around global trade.

He seems almost indignant at China's poverty - “ have you seen the assless babies yet?” he sneers – nappies don't seem to exist so Chinese babies are put into little trousers and joggers with the bottom cut out so they can just be dangled over a pavement to shit in the street.

“Oh its horrendous, but it gets even worse in enclosed spaces like the airports”....he says rolling his eyes …

In our dorm, Dom says:

"Do you find The American..you know...a bit on the annoying side...?"

For a liberal he really is one of the least tolerant most right wing socialists i've ever met..

Later for lunch we share some duck (its Beijing right ?!) and dumplings and a coconut milky drink with fruit and tapioca in it and as ever The American holds court – lecturing on a range of subjects as diverse as product inventions, Greece, fossil fuel supplies and the Spanish economy.

“Here's the thing - I was prescribed anti depressants for my anxiety attacks and I told the Doctor out right that I wouldn't take them.” He says.

Derek and I have been noticeably absent from the conversation up until now. Derek is 26 but has a very sweet naïve quality to him and I can't help but feeling very protective of him. But now he rejoins the conversation to tell us that he also suffers from tummy pain and anxiety attacks and takes anti depressants and some kind of tranquiliser like valium.



“Its good later when you meet someone who has the same thing as you” he confides.

“You don't feel so alone.”

Maybe the American has his uses after all.

Derek's father is a doctor but his advice to his own son to cure the anxiety is just to pop some more pills. I can't get away from how medicated american society is. The approach in Western medicine always seems to be to just stick a band aid over it to try and stem the flow. Although there seems to be less stigma attached to therapy in the states than in the UK and I know drugs have their place - I'd still like to see counselling being suggested by healthcare professionals for addressing anxiety, panic attacks and other mental health care issues as well as or instead of just prescribing tranquilisers. Anyway right now i'm with Sally – Meditate don't medicate 😉

Finally on friday Michaela and i we get to do 2000 year old Great Wall and its her 34th birthday! - hooray!

The sun is shining, the sky is a clear blue without a cloud in it – and because its the peak of summer that also means it must be about 40 degrees. As the bus nears the entrance - our tour guide starts to speak:

“ We are almost arrived – when you get to the base you will need to walk up a hill to get to the first tower. This hill is very steep.”

When you get to the first tower you will walk the first 9 towers which have been restored. These towers are even steeper than the hill..."

“Then you will climb towers 9 to 15... these towers are even steeper.”

If you are having difficulty you can get down here from tower 15 because after that you will have to walk the final 7 towers from 15 to and these are the STEEPEST part of the wall.”

Everyone laughs nervously. I'm beginning to worry that I may not be up to it – but Micahela chivvies me along.

We arrive and start the climb up to the first tower – which is fine and then bump into Sally and a couple of other girls from the hostel at the top -we burst into an impromptu version of Happy Birthday for Michaela which makes everyone stare.

“take your time -take photos - the guide on the walk will follow the last person...”

We take her advice once up at the top the heat is extreme and difficult but the views are stunning. The wall stretches out in front of us and there isn't a soul on it except for our group, we can see for miles around us, the rolling hills and the wall interspersed with its watchtowers curls out endlessly infront of us.

I didn't know what to expect but its suprisingly peaceful and awe inspiring up here. So this is what all the fuss is about....it is and it isn't "just a wall."

After the first 15 towers I begin to get a little complacent. We stop and take loads of photos to the point where the tour guide who is rounding us up actually points at his watch and hurries us along – guess we can't take as long as we want then!

We have made lunch in the hostel to take with us as there are no burger vans up here – although there is the odd farmer selling t shirts, water and coke. We catch up with the rest of the gorup and eat our peanut butter sandwiches (which never tasted so good) then get going again. And then I see why its called one of the most strenuous treks on the wall.

The wall from Tower 9 is all unrestored - so crumbling away at the sides and there are sheer drops of around 500 metres. Its so hilly that it undulates up and down to each watchtower at about an angle of 70 degrees which means we have to climb up and down on all fours to be safe.

'In every life there are ups and there are downs...” notes a German drily.

The final few towers to Tower 22 really are the steepest and get the heart rate pumping.



“Come on Dominique – get those legs going!” shouts Michaela

“WORK THAT BUTT WORK IT!!” I shout back to help with the motivation.

The rest of the group stare at us slightly bemused. But we make it! And the fact its been tiring and difficult at times has made it so much more worthwhile. And hey ….the photos really are great.

That evening we go out for a meal for Michaela's birthday and get back late - around 11 o clock.

I'm about to go to bed, but one of the girls who runs the hostel whispers to me to stay up. There are four of them and they have been waiting for us to get back because they have bought Michaela a tiramisu cake as a suprise with candles and everything.

“we were so worried that you were't coming back!” they say...

“ some of us finished our shift a long time ago but wanted to stay for this! ”

We are all so thrilled – for Michaela – who is touched and close to tears ...and lets face it at the thought of eating proper cake but also because its so lovely to see how excited the girls from the hostel are that their little suprise has worked. Thye jump up and down with glee and clasp their hands. Its a sweet in every way end to a very a special day.

The next day i've made a decision to go and do martial arts at a school in Fujian province for a month. I am going via Shanghai to break up the journey a bit.

One of the girls in the hostel helps me with my backpack. Her name in Chinese means “sea” but she didn't like it so she decided to choose and English name that meant the same - and fell in love with the word “Marine” so that is what we call her.

“Oh Dominique...” she says, helping lug The Bastard onto my back..

“You are soo strong!...so strong and so beautiful....”

aw. Its only taken about 37 years but I think I'm fnally beginning to agree.

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