From Sunday the 16th of May

I started walking at about 3.30 PM today. It had rained earlier, and although it was humid and the sky was thick gray all the time, not a drop of rain fell.

It was pretty windy, making for a perfect temperature, especially when walking up hills. The Great wall follows the countours of the landscape here, and is slowly descending to Zhangjiakou. There have been a couple of steep hills, but mostly a soft rolling landscape. It reminded me of the UK some times as there is short grass many places and I could hear the sheep in close by villages.

After setting up the tent, I stretched the back of my legs and knees. This is the first time I have stretched properly on the whole walk… About time!

It was still warm when I entered the tent. This will be the first night in the summer sleeping bag for more than half a year. It still stinks!

I have ditched all the winter equipment now. The rucksack has space left even with 4.5 litres of Ice tea, and a lot of food. It is also lighter which is great concidering all the mountains ahead of me.

About 120 km as the crow flies left to the border of Beijing which is not a province, but a municipality.

Time to listen a bit to an audio book about Julius Cesar, and then sleep. My last thought will probably be of all the ‘crazy’ youths in Norway. They have pretty wild parties to celebrate the end of High School the evening before Norway’s National day tomorrow.

12 kilometres today