The GREAT WALL

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We steamed away for a year and a day to the land where the bam tree grows. … or China for short, and it was only a day at sea, not a year and a day. However, at this point in time I am becoming delirious as will be explained later.

After a day at sea and spotting all sorts of floating things in the ocean we arrived in grey darkness in China. The port of Xingang to be precise. It was an eerie place, misty, dark and with lonesome horns from ships at sea. We had crossed the Yellow ocean, so called because of the amount of silt stirred up and the shallow depth. It was really spooky, mist, yellow water, strange horns in the mist and strange objects floating past.

We arrived, as I said in China and disembarked for our bus (number 13) for the trip to the Great wall. “The wall” as everyone was calling it, “are you going to the wall?” was the cry… not sure at first if they were asking about people’s banks or businesses.
But yes, we were going to the wall, as were hundreds of others. So off we went at great speed (about 30 miles an hour) for 2 and a half hours, through the Chinese countryside. Which was very flat and surprisingly organised. Not in the efficient orderliness of the Japanese, but on a much bigger scale - the port we left had housing and a great amount of construction going on, then tree planting going on for miles after mile, then Polly tunnels, again for miles, and fish farms some frozen over, and so forth.
Eventually we arrived at a mountainous region where quarrying was the order of the day. And then there it was ‘The Great Wall of China’ in all its glory. The sun had come out and melted away the haze, and with the sun splitting the sky, the Wall looked like something out of a movie.
We were desperate to get on to the wall for a stroll; we reckoned we would soon leave the others behind (us being young and fit) and have the Wall to ourselves. However we were number 13, and with 12 other buses ahead of us and 5 other buses that should have been behind us, arriving before us, the restaurant that we were to have our lunch in was full to bursting. Our bus guide stood in the walled garden of the restaurant holding up the lucky number 13 sign for all of us sheep to follow, which meant we had to wait some considerable time for the restaurant to open up another room and set it up for dining. All this time we could see the wall but couldn’t get near it.
Lunch was strange - round table for 10 people, chopsticks, and a massive lazy susan in the middle. The first dish to arrive was a veg dish then fruit then a little later chicken, meat more veg and later rice. I like everyone else had my fruit (Pudding) with my veg in a small bowl and was waiting for the rest to arrive. The food was flying about all over the place as people fought with unruly chopsticks, other people became very primitive and used fingers still others simple stuck their tongues into the bowls and did it doggy style. Eventually we noticed it was going to be a backwards meal or sideways meal, courses arriving in any old order and being consumed by the hungry pack of rabid pensioners. Anyway, after the meal we strode out, following the arrows marked “this way to the wall”, through narrow alleyways to arrive at the first set of steps (about 20) - this is easy we thought….. Silly us…That only took us to the route round and above the buildings to the start of the wall proper. Here the steps were different; they seemed to smile at us in a challenging way and looked decidedly arduous. The disheartening thing was, we were meeting old age pensioners who had already “done the wall” and were heading back to the coaches, muttering about getting the coach to leave early, so they could get back to the ship in time for dinner!!!!
So with some deep breaths, we started at a very quick pace to mount the wall. That lasted for about 60 or 70 steps. We thought we were doing well, a bit breathless but getting there at pace then the crafty Chinese upt the stakes and doubled the height of the steps, so we got slowed down by that dastardly deed. Judi is sure they did this to stop the enemies invading - they would be knackered by the time they had gone a few yards, never mind scaling the wall. Then with still more people coming down saying “not far to go now, it gets easier” we ploughed on, knowing they were telling fibs, and sure enough we found it got rougher, with uneven boulders for steps and ice on the path and hillside. Still, we were doing OK,- up and up we went.. The Ship advice was for us to wear layers of clothing, as it would be very cold at the higher altitudes (we complied with this advice and went out like Nanook of the North) but by the time we reached the “higher altitudes” we, or rather Judi was down to one layer and I was carrying the duffel coat and roasting with my 3 layers of clothes on. It could have been 10 below and I would have wanted a shower with snow to cool down - we were practically running up the wall. A fellow passenger described me as carrying a hefty load, head down, sweating and leaping the steps, with no sense of others coming down saying hello!!! - Must have been altitude problems - lack of oxygen or something. Personally I think they were having a laugh as I definitely have pics of them I stopped and took on the way up.
Huff, Puff, Puff, Huff -we finally reached the neeeeeeeeer top of this section of the Wall, and, could go no further. Over heated, under oxygenated and just plain done in. we stopped. The remaining half mile we could have done if we had time to rest and get the Sherpa’s and mules into good order, but it was time to consider going down. Did I mention the height, the ever upward looking we did? Well we turned round and looked down - Gulp. Vertigo had a field day - Judi clung on to the side of the wall as she slowly inch by inch started her way down, much like spiderman going down a wall on his bum.
It was a long way down, and took considerably longer than going up. We eventually got down and found our bus mostly full, and waiting for a few passengers - us and the senior purser “James” who was helping a lady who injured her foot on the way down. So how did they all manage to, what seems effortlessly, get up the wall and down before us??? We left the Purser in the walled garden as we started our ascent and met him coming down as we were reaching the top????? My theory is, we were abducted by aliens and put back down on the wall an hour later. How else to explain a slightly overweight Irishman (James) zipping up and down that wall without us noticing him overtaking us?? - a thought occurs - perhaps he is a leprechaun!!! Told you I was becoming delirious - it gets better. So back to the bus, and off to the boat, stopping at a service station for toilets on the way back. Did Judi describe the toilets in Japan? I think she did and there was a picture of them, well, the ones here were if anything worse - dirty and requiring contortions to use them. With stiff muscles and aching bones it can’t have been easy.
We got off the bus at the ship at least 10 years older than when we got on and so did most of the others - there was many groans and moans as limbs that had been still for a couple of hours and had probably for the first time in years scaled walls like Mongolian hoards, finally moved and refused to stretch without pain. The steps down from the bus were more formidable than the Wall. The steps on the ship (all 12 floors) were for most just impossible - the lifts were in heavy demand. We of course took the stairs, keeping our promise when joining the ship to never take the lift. So lifting one leg after another we eventually reached our cabin. - OUCH. Now you would think that the ship organisers would have some sympathy for the returning invaders!!! No. it was a FORMAL night…… getting dressed up with bow ties and formal dresses ( I wear the bow tie and Judi the dress) Just thought I would clarify that.
So like true troupers - - - we headed for the buffet ….. don’t know what was worse getting dressed for formal dinner or climbing 6 more sets of steps to the buffet on the top restaurant (not formal)
The truth is that we had a fantastic day - saw China - stood on the Great Wall of China and couldn’t have asked for a better day.
So now on its on through a stormy near gale night to Shanghai.

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Comments

[beckycroall]

well done!!
well done judi and murdo,looks and sounds like your having a ball.will look forward to hearing more.Make sure you buy me a BIG pressie!!! lol take care love you xxx