I was hiking the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall at 4am for a sun rise view. There were few other people before or behind me in the distance recognizable by their moving flash lights, but many a time I was completely alone in the darkness, feeling my way up along the unrestored wall. My senses were wide open, grabbed by the feeling of undisturbed freedom coupled with a rising tripidation as if something was hiding in my invisible surroundings.
It turned out that the humidity was too strong in the air and the sun could only vaguely shine through the clouds. It was soothing though to have the morning breeze gently drying the sweat from hiking while hearing the cheerful noise from the birds and insects and following the extension of the Wall into the far away mist.
清晨4点我开始爬金山岭长城去看日出，从摇曳的手电光可以看到前后一两拨人，但大多时候我是黑暗里单独的行者，每个感官好像都灵敏地张开，有种自由与恐惧同在的感觉。
这一天的潮湿空气正酝酿一场雨，太阳光微弱地从云层后漫过来，没有期待中的日出景象。但是清晨的风吹过，感觉到额头上的汗，鸟和昆虫在叫，往脚下结实的城墙上一坐，看城墙向远处延伸到雾里，那惬意让人忘了遗憾。