One day, on my way to the gym,  I exchanged running on the treadmill and lifting some weights for 5 hours hiking  and exploring at a mountain. Once downstairs, I had this sudden idea about a certain park I’ve been thinking of visiting a while ago. There I was, trying to make up my mind and asking myself: ‘Do I really want to know how to get there?”,’Why not?’,’Just go!’. So I took the first cab I saw and within 10 minutes I was there, Yangtaishan Park.

As soon as I spotted the gigantic monument I new I was in the right way. It is a big square where lots of people get together for practicing Tai Chi and other outdoor activities. Next, I found a public library with loads of books for everyone.  It looked tidy and silent but too hot for me because the AC was off. Anyways, I wasn’t there for reading. Soon I searched for the main entrance to the mountain.

Man-made paths made everything much more easier. There are numbers on some steps and I remember there were more than three thousand ones. I kept thinking a lot of those hardworking men who carried all the materials to built them up.

There were ‘beware the snakes’ signs everywhere. I was lucky enough to meet just two friendly and tiny ones. One was just pretending to be a stick and the other one just fled away soon after our encounter.

 

 

 

The lake view is almost at the end of the journey and it was the most peaceful moment of all.

I spent five hours in total and I would do it again and spend more time exploring and taking enough time to relax and enjoy. It is absolutely worth the effort. If you plan to go, please, take enough water, food, sunblock lotion, mosquito repellent, wet napkins, proper hiking gear and a small towel to dry your hands and face. It is a long way to go and it might be a bit challenging.