August 15, 2004

. . . Harder still was the jaunt down, primarily because many of the steps are about 50% higher than your average stair step, and each step came at its own particular length and height, meaning you had to watch your step constantly. If the road up was a heart stress test, then the road down was a joint test. I ditched my cap at the bottom, because a near-continuous stream of sweat was pouring off the tip of the bill by the time I hit bottom. Naturally, I paid 40 yuan to have my name and date engraved on a brass plaque suitable for hanging. You bust your balls like that in the heat and humidity and you want a trophy, damn it!