Stairway to Heaven
Trip Start
Jun 12, 2006
1
159
173
Trip End
Jul 01, 2007
Tai Shan, China
Monday, May 14, 2007
I took an over night train from shanghai to Tai Shan, chatting to two really nice people on the way up. I actually got fairly good sleep, but woke with slight cramp and the prospect of walking up a mountain...plus at 5 in the morning!!
At Tai Shan I had the prospect of the only training going to Beijing later that night to be standing all night..as that was the only train.
Anyway dumped my bags and made my way to the mountain, deciding to walk the full route rather than taking a bus half way up, or cable car to the top. I had always wanted to come here after seeing Michael Palin scale it on one of his documentaries, in fact its the most climbed mountain on earth.....consider how many Chinese could here.
Today was good though and the crowds not to bad.
The hike took four hours to the top and over half way I started to regret not cheating, as the steps got stepper and more frequent.
The people here..top..even smiley...wow for the Chinese!!!
At the top after cooling down from all the sweat I came up with a genius plan to go north to Ji nan instead. So once back down in the local town (Tai an) i changed my ticket to Ji nan. Only an hour ride I mad friends with a lad called Zhao, how was fascinated when I gave him spare change of dollar, baht and yen...i guess they dont see foreign money here.
We communicated through the phrase book at the back of the lonely planet, had lunch together and found some friendly Pakistan medics how booked me onto a bus to Beijing, result and a bed!!!!
Also met another crazy Chinese chick who spoke good English, that I might meet later on my trip around the big old place.
So I am confused....do I like China, guess I dont know yet
