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Thursday, 31. May, 2001.
Three days before our departure we climbed up the Chinese Wall (called "The Great Wall"), which is more than 6,000 km long. In the middle of mountains near Badaling, about one hour's drive from Beijing, we visited a restored part that is open for tourists. The temperature being 38 degrees centigrade, we were heading for the highest possible point to get a good view, although our Chinese guides strongly adviced us not to exaggerate our physical efforts because of the heat. Despite their advice we worked our way up step by step. The way was decorated by conspicuously coloured flags.
We then immediately realized how small the world in fact is when we met on the wall people from Berlin, even from our home destrict Reinickendorf. After a strenuous half hour of an arduous ascent we met some sprightly pensioners on their way down who, in contrast to us, seemed to have managed to overcome the difference in height without any effort. After another 10 minutes we suddenly got sight of a cable railway heading to the peak and thus all doubts about our youthful energy remained unconfirmed. In the end we still got to the peak, and a final photo was taken for documentation.
As a whole, this expedition was, inspite of the physical effort it required, very impressive and we have really enjoyed it. According to a Chinese legend, as our Chinese guides told us, we left the wall as real women and men.
© Lydia Hellmann, Stephan Howey; July 2001
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