Real Men Climbing the Great Wall

Posted May 5th, 2010

Alex told me that you cannot be a real man unless you have climbed the Great Wall.   There were several times while climbing that I was willing not to be a real man.  But we soldiered on with hundreds of people from preschoolers to old guys puffing cigarettes while climbing.  Some of the women climbers were in high heels.  I guess it was just a Sunday stroll for the Chinese.  It required several rest stops for me, but we made it!   Notice how much more exhausted I look than Alex.

When we reached the tower that marked our stopping point, there were many people taking pictures of their friends.  Some of the people wanted to get their pictures made with me.  I’m wondering if they told their friends later, “I cannot believe this old, fat American could climb the Great Wall.”  That is what I have been telling my friends.  When we reached the top and looked down, I understood why it was so difficult.  It was very steep.

The wall is an amazing feat of building a fantastic structure across mountains by manual labor.   I found out later that Mao Zedong was the first to remark about being a true man only if you have climbed the Great Wall.  I recommend the experience highly, but take it slowly if you are not from China.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 5th, 2010 at 3:24 pm and is filed under China Travels 2010.