Steps

There are a lot of steps in China. We drove to Dandong to climb some of the most famous ones in China – the Great Wall. Yes, the Wall is also in Beijing – but it was built to surround the ENTIRE country. Sitting on the border with North Korea, Dandong is about 3 hours from Dalian, . (the trip back the next morning to catch our 12:30 flight to Shanghai was a real hair-raising experience – 160 km an hour –we barely made it-“don’t worry Ma, if we leave by 8 we have lots of time” – but we took the wrong road, there was construction, etc [stuff happens, eh?] and didn’t get to the airport entrance until 11:30 – another story). Dandong is where many Chinese tourists come to visit their national treasure. We went up about 1000 steps – some of them extremely steep – all the way to the highest tower. At the end I was climbing them like a ladder – coming down was, ummmm, challenging. Beats a thigh master. 99% of the people climbing with us were Chinese. (Tony grabbed a tour leader’s flag – everyone roared with laughter) In the picture of the folks coming down the steps, they are taking pictures of Tony taking pictures of them. There were a few Japanese and Koreans. As I groaned up the Wall, I was passed by a couple of Chinese women in high heels. One in stiletto sandals. We stayed in a really nice hotel where we were the only Caucasians. At dinner I noticed that when people made eye contact with me they looked shocked and openly stared. I thought that my eyes must be red from jetlag, and then it occurred to me – I was the only person in the room with blue eyes. I was probably the first person with blue eyes that many of them had ever seen in person.