Hiking in Shekou

So I think I have said there are two hiking paths very close to our apartment. The one featured in the photos here is directly behind our apt. The second, not featured in this photos, is a 10 minute bike ride . Both, honestly, kick my ass.

You know how on the Appalachian trail, there is a trodden path and little marks on the trees? With these two paths, each step is a granite step -- some hard working Chinese person carried each one on his back and placed it down -- just, as it turns out, to shame my sorry self into better shape.

So the hike is really a series of steps that lead to various beautiful pagodas until the great, sweaty pagodas on the top. Ooh, the calves.

But even more humbling than the challenge of the vertical climb are the various folks who regularly pass me on the way up. I am not making this up. Today, a baby girl in little pink sandals and a baby bottle of water daintily stepped by my heaving frame. She was trying to catch up with her dad. Then a group of college students, yakking and laughing, whipped by me. Grandmas in little straw hats flew by me with children and grandchildren in tow. One actually refused my "Bing Sway?" offer when I extended my water bottle. And finally, small women in heels -- easily 2 inch heels-- climbed past me to the summit. One was thankfully complaining about her feet at the top pagoda. The only other person who was even wearing exercise clothes was an Australian woman who was also defeated by Nanshan Mtn. She said the heat was bothering her. What 92 with 95% humidity is hard on you, too??

So that has been my hiking experience in Shekou thusfar. Tomorrow, we are dragging up the kids:)