Sylvia's Great Wall of China Walk: Bricks, blisters and brains!

Aim of the project

The aim of this project is to walk across North China along the entire length of the Great Wall from West to East, including damaged sections and areas where the wall no longer stands. The walk is to be uninterrupted with little or no retreat to villages. All supplies are to be brought to the wall by team members.

The estimated minimum duration of the walk is six months at an approximate average of 35 kilometres per day.

As a breast cancer survivor I feel compelled to play a part in the search for a cure as well as help the disadvantaged suffering from this illness. Therefore the Great Wall Walk fund raising will benefit CANSUR, being a cancer surgical research organisation who has expressed interest in supporting this endeavour. Simultaneous fund raising will also be organised in China to benefit Chinese Cancer victims.

To support Sylvia Berjas make a donation to CANSUR http://www.cansur.org/

View more photos at

Sylvias Great Wall of China walk

and

Sylvia is getting to the end of Gansu province

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Bricks, blisters and brains!

Reached Jayuguan 2 days ago.The pass fortress is massive and impressive. From the top of the ramparts, you can see a long way away. Easy to understand why they build it there.
I was explained that the number of bricks used had to be accurately calculated. Due to lack of material locally(everything had to be brought in) the Government sent message that one brick too many or one missing would cost the head of the person in charge. A nasty personne removed one from somewhere and presented it as one too many.
What saved the head was to declare the extra brick was meant as a replacement in case of breakage. Given the size of the fortress, the architect who worked out the number of bricks needed must have been an incredible mathematician.

Bricks were all marked with the name of the laborer who produced them, if one brick broke, the laborer was easy to locate and would lose his head.

My many blisters are getting better. Still looking for a donkey. However the farmers use donkeys in the farm and eat them when not useful anymore. It is hard to find one

Got interviewed by the local media , they sent an appeal to find a donkey for me. The guy who interviewed me, with is friends, did lots of ringing round to find a donkey. Won' t be able to wait very long for the result, Beijing is still a long way away.

Local hospitality still great, getting lots of assistance. Yesterday was taken to dinner; ate mutton intestines and liver, gave a miss to grilled brains , served in the original head!.

Will resume walking tomorrow. The next stretch will be difficult as there is no water of food supply for a long distance; will have to carry sufficient supplies.