This has been yet another hard and warm day. Started before eight to get up the mountain in front of me before it got too hot.
I planned for a detour at the end of the day to get straightened out a bit. I had less than half a litre of drink left, and wanted a proper meal.
Four guys that had been on a business trip in the area offered to drive me to the village just south of the Great Wall. They said it had about 5.000 inhabitants. They dropped me off at a Lu dian – a small guest house. The woman owner seemed to need some persuasion to take me as a guest.
When she understood I could speak some Chinese, and that I wasn’t going to tear down the place, she helped me no end! I was so grateful 🙂
First she took me to a restaurant and I ordered food. Then she showed me the shop where I bought 6 litres of Ice Tea for the next stretch. Then she pointed out the local bath house where she said I could take a long shower. Finally she told me that when I got back she would have everything ready so that I could wash my clothes. I should hire her help for the rest of the trip! I was so grateful.
So now I’m sitting here in the room with nothing on my upper body as it is hanging on a line outside drying. The only slight minus is that the guy I am sharing a room with is smoking.
I smell pretty bad after just three days walking. There is a lot of sweating involved walking up and down these mountains. It will good to go to sleep tomorrow relatively clean, and not stinking.
Some places I had to climb steep cliffs with hands and arms to follow the high ridge The Wall followed. Where there were not enough good grips to use safely, I had to detour in to the thick bushes beside The Wall. This was also hard work as the thorns rip up clothes, rucksack and skin alike.
After what I thought was two hours walking, I had walked only 3 kilometres. It turned out though, that out of the two hours since I started this morning, I had been standing still taking short breaks, photographing or considering where to walk for a whole hour!
11 kilometres today
A new shower already! Not so long since Hong Kong:-)
Kind people really are everywhere, once they figure out that you’re going to be kind in return. It’s good that you found so much help along your way, especially given the difficult task you’re attempting. I hope to someday go on just as long of a walking trip, though not in as harsh an environment I think. I bet the view is simply spectacular most of the time, and you have the pleasure of doing one of humanity’s most basic exercises while you’re at it. By the time you’re done, you will probably be one of those people who can outwalk any animal on earth.
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