The title says it all! On the last day in Qinghai, our tour guide DaWei took us on a “hike.”  Only 6 of us decided to go but it was the best decision I’ve made since coming to China. 

We should have known this was going to be less of a hike and more of a climb at the front entrance. There are 365 steps to signify a year of pain.  Don’t ask me why but those steps were very steep and my legs were in pain the whole way up!

The city of Xining is tucked into the valley with mountains surrounding it on all sides.  Although it is considered a small city in China, the entire time I saw it from up high, I realized the city was massive!

They even constructed towers up on the hill to get electricity into the city.

We climbed a little higher and found a pagoda on top the next hill!

We thought this was as high as we were climbing so we grabbed a quick group shot! DaWei ended up taking us even higher!

DaWei decided we should take a “short cut” to get to the top faster.  See the little dirt path just right of the tree? Well that is an almost vertical path cutting up the mountain.  Yes I climbed it using my hands and knees to pull me up.

Made it! What a gorgeous view!

But again, DaWei showed us yet another shortcut and we climbed even higher.  We were all pretty tired but we finally made it to the top of the mountain.  It was surreal.  I know what you’re thinking.  The view must have been incredible–and it was.  But that’s not why it was surreal. 

When we got to the top, it felt like we transported back to ancient Greece. Yeah, there was an abandoned ancient Greece style garden on the TOP of the mountain!

We have no idea why it’s there but on the mountain right next to us was a house that looked like a castle.

Every single one of us was speechless.  We were taken away with the fact that we just climbed a mountain, we were in ancient Greece, and medieval times.

By the time we finally headed down, it started to get dark.  This was easily my favorite part of the trip.  Enjoying the city from above.