Hin's 2nd C.O.U.N.T. 1,000,000 steps (Sep 3rd – 26th, 2010)

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10. Amazing Grace.

Thean Hin Ooi <ooithin@gmail.com>   Mon, Sep 27, 2010 at 9:44 AM

25/09/10.  07:00 – 17:55.  ZhuanYaoGou – Majie, Yulin. (27.6km).

Sep 25: 07:07 - 18:04hr. As if nearly being stranded in the desert yesterday wasn't enough, I found myself alternating between the village crop fields and the hot desert again. It's as if I'm in the maze again looking for the signs of the dragon. It was a hot sunny day and had to tuck into my "Power Bar" again to sustain enough energy to go on. I tried a piece of the corn and I tell you it's meant for the farm animals. Fields were being cleared and bundled up for transport. At one point, I was 1.7km off track and had to grudgingly trudge back into the desert. Sat down under the shed (not much) of a shrub, had a snack and presto, the trail of the dragon was on again.

Followed and came across many many beacons and sentry towers and would you believe it, discovered another brick wall on a tower side - this is definitely the swan song. By evening, CH was waiting on the path of the wall leading to Yulin. Made 45,310 steps, and if you have been counting this totalled 1,006,723 steps. Headed for Yulin, bought a sleeper bus ticket from Shenmu to Beijing for the following day. Checked into a real hotel, had a wonderful Yulin special large plate of mixed noodles, heaps of vegetables, braised potatoes, chunks of meat - don't ask what's the dish name.
 

26/09/10.  07:05 – 13:00.  Mahuangliangzhen – Dahetaxiang. (20.9km).

Sep26: 07:08 - 12:55hr. The plan was to complete the Yulin track around the village of Dahetaxiang and then proceed to Shenmu, where I had wanted to offer some prayers in the temple of 3 religions. Started the walk from a sentry tower with a shrine beside, where I immediately lighted joss sticks and offered grace. I thought I had left the mountains behind but this stretch turned out just as hilly with elevation range of 946 - 1417m.

It was real tough having to climb up/down again and to make matters less pleasant, had a call from the bus company to say that my bus due from Shenmu to Beijing was broken and cancelled. I have to return to Yulin to re-issue another to proceed from Yulin to Beijing.

Spent some time in a large beautiful fortress (JianänBao), had difficulty to cross the Heguo river to get to the wall. Finished the track at Dahetaxiang, had noodle lunch with CH and we then drove the mountain roads for about 112km admiring the beautiful scenery. There were men, young girls straddling tree trunks and cutting down branches, no doubt gathering firewood in time for winter. There were numerous temples perched at edges of the mountains - amazing grace. Completed 31,868 steps with total ascent/descent of 1420 and 1668m. Now that made the total of 1,038, 591 steps, and an approximate 557.4 km only.
 

Total 592km. 1,076,363 steps.

CH had to rush back to Lanzhou and we hailed a passing car going into Yulin - a father/son farmer/herdsmen. Absolute kindliness, they not only took me to the hotel, but helped checked me in, took me to the bus station to exchange my ticket to Beijing and finally sent me safely back to the hotel. Handed them a couple of Ringgit notes, as they had never seen one before and were real curious to find out about Malaysia. There, Dr. YY, another couple of recruits for your tourism statistics.

Well, this has been a gruelling and amazing trip. What more could one asked for - amazing scenery, amazing places, amazing people and the amazing dragon.

The Ming Great Wall is only one of many Chinese dragons built through the millennium. And this one is only 800 years old measuring about 5,500 km, with its tail coolly dipped in the Taolai river in Jiayuguan, snaking thru the provinces of Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei and rears its head facing the Bohai Sea in Shanhaiguan (known as the First Pass under Heaven) in East Hebei province. I'm told there is an even bigger and older dragon that stretches 7,000km across Inner Mongolia - who knows this might offer a more challenging ride.

This is the end of my second ride on the Ming Great Wall and I hope you have enjoyed reading my travels as much as I do enjoy narrating, but don't forget to donate to your favourite charity and hope that you would pass a little grace in my name.

Thank you all for your continued support, encouragement and we shall catch up upon my return to good old Malaysia.

I shall be heading for a 4 days’ rest in Beijing and take in all the sights.

All the very best and again, wishing you enough.

Regards,
Hin

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