A Night on the Great Wall

After a two- to three-hour bus ride from Beijing, the Great Wall come into sight. It was without a doubt a marvel. We were all eager to begin the 10 km hike so we ate a quick lunch and started the steep climb.

Taking a short water break on the steep hike

Some of my friends turned back early because it was so steep and difficult to hike in the intense heat. I had taken a gallon of water with me, but it wasn’t enough. I shared my water with my thirsty classmates during our frequent water breaks.

Got water?

We ran out of water about half way through the hike. But we went on, helping each other step by step, for three and a half hours until we completed the full 10 km hike.

Richard gets a little help from his friends

By that time, my classmates and I were saying, "the Great Wall is not that great!" It was the stair master from hell! As soon as I finished the hike I almost dropped dead.

Richard is dead tired

After dinner, however, we decided go back up to camp on the Wall. We set up a mosquito net tent large enough for eight people to sleep on the Wall.

The spacious net tent is ready for the night

When everyone was settled in, we got together and listened to fellow students Jonathan and Mimi play the guitar, told stories and shared jokes.

We could see the sky through the mosquito netting, so we watched for falling stars during the night.

Ready for battle the next day

When I think of it now, it was a great experience and it was fun even though it was tiring to hike the wall. If I could do it again with EAP, I wouldn't turn it down.

- photos and text by Richard Yang, UC Riverside

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