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They are alive!
When bored, climb one of these! Mountain Climbing (Paw Shan)
When I was twenty-one (er-shee-ye) years old I had the privilege of being at Fort Benning, Georgia. I was there training to be a soldier. Every day was very long; we were lucky to get 3 (san) or 4 (si) hours of sleep. Those days were physically demanding as well. Well, this past Wednesday and Thursday were very similar to the days of ‘boot camp”. But they were worth the while!
The first day would be a long and testing day. , waking up at 6 A.M. I met my group of twelve (shir-er) friends, me included, on our rented bus. The first three hours of our trip consisted of simply going to Inner Mongolia. We stopped for a break and I went up a hill with another of my friends. The view was great! Eventually, after going through the mountains we descended and arrived in Inner Mongolia. We stayed at a city which would be our ‘base”. The scenery was amazing, mountains to the south of us and desert to the north. Our base was a small city which is smaller than Dawukou but bigger than Pipersville. Our first hour in this place consisted of finding lodging and having breakfast.
After the first hour it was time to go hiking. At the base of this mountain rested a Buddhist Temple and Monastery. The first part of our trip consisted of simply taking a bus to where we would begin hiking. I will say that going up a mountain is easier than coming off of one. While going up I walked with a lady from England. Despite our gender and age we had much in common when it comes to movies, literature and intellectual matters. We arrived at a valley in about 2 hours walking roughly 3 miles. I then went further, while my companion rested, up the mountain with other members of my group. I stopped when my left leg, which is shorter than my right, said enough was enough. This time matter overcame mind. Now it was time to come down. I first caught my breath with other members of my group. At four in the afternoon we were told that the mountain would close at 5 P.M.
In a smaller group of 5 (woo), because the larger group was all over the place, I made my way down the mountain. I will say at this point the view was breathtaking and the fresh air was a blessing from above. After I acquired a walking stick, courtesy of the trees, I made my way down the mountain. The view going down, especially with the sun going down, was grand. This picture also helped to put things in perspective by reminding me of the verse which talks about creation being his handy work. It was certainly a blessing to be at that mountain at that time.
When I arrived at the base of the mountain with my group of five, I had walked seven (chi) miles in six (leeoh) hours. While the view was grand my leg badly needed a rest. While waiting for the rest of the larger group we had the opportunity to speak with a monk. He was very humble and wise. For dinner that night we had mutton, rice and vegetables in a small hut. At this hut we took our shoes off and sat on the ground. That night we stayed at a church in the small town.
Between the pain of my leg and the snoring of my roommates I had no sleep. At six-thirty I got out of bed, dressed and went outside. After using the toilet (which was not conventional western style) I befriended a dog on the premises. This German Sheppard was a puppy and nervous around humans. It took about a half-hour for it to come out of its run down dog house. In 45 (si-shir-woo) minutes I was petting it on the head and back. If I did not have a roommate I would have bought that dog. Which I named Tinkerbelle.
Eventually we set out again for more hiking-yeah! The place that my group chose was not as difficult as the mountains of the day before. This time we established that we would meet at the bus at 2 (er) P.M. This gave us 4 hours to do whatever. I walked with the same lady the day before and we stuck to the river bed until our assent. I used my right leg to start off on instead of my left. This time, however, I could use my arms as well as my legs to climb. At this time it was going to be mind over matter; but I could not lift my left leg very high. My British friend and I went up a smaller hill at first.
The lack of other tourists, apart from my group, made this journey especially worthwhile. My friend and I sat in the grass at the base of a hill and talked. We talked about Monty-Python, our love for the cinema and growing up in the Military. She had grown up in the British Navy as I had done in the United States Air Force.
Blue sky, bright golden sunshine and cool breeze- just about Heaven on Earth! I will remember these for the rest of my life. Well, at one (yee) P.M. it was time to go back to the bus. This time I wish that I had not retired my stick from the day before! I parted company with my British Friend as we went down different paths. By the time we arrived at the bus I was tired and stiff. The traveling was great, but getting off my feet would be greater! I now have a great respect for mountains and China. These past days were great and full of lessons for me. I hope to never forget them.
My next adventure: SHANGHAI!
Zaijian!
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