April 26, 2011

Ryan

Today we started our day bright and early to climb Tai Shan, the eastern and most sacred of the five Taoist mountains of China. Thankfully, we didn¹t have to climb the 7,200 stone steps to the top. We took a swift bus up some frighteningly winding roads halfway then rode a cable car the rest of the way. If you are one who is afraid of heights, this cable car is not for you. With a couple footballs fields worth of a drop and an almost vertical climb, a simple breeze has never been so powerful. Getting passed fear of possibilities, the view was majestic. At the top we tied prayer ribbons to trees in a small wooded area to send positive energy to our relatives, only to turn around when we left them to find someone untying them L. We were set free for an hour or so at the top, so five of us climbed some rocks to chill out on top of the world for a while, which was very relaxing. After having lunch on top of the sacred mountain smelling of incense, we returned to the bottom and headed for the airport to fly back to Beijing. On the bus ride there I got a call from Jia Xin¹s parents! They are sending me a gift here in Beijing because I am unable to visit them in Shenzhen. Now we are all here in the hotel very tired. End Transmission.