“Nina, Erik we’re leaving the hotel in 5 minutes!” yelled Rose


”Where are we going?” asked Erik. He’s my older brother. We are all on a Family Vacation in China. My mom, who you can call Rose, is never not active. There’s also my father who you can call Jack. He’s like my mom. Well all that’s left is me. My name is Nina and I’m 13. I am the opposite of my family. I hate doing anything that is really active like walking to school every morning, when everyone else is riding the bus. My parents think walking is way better than the bus. School is like 6 miles away from home though. Well enough about me, lets see we’re I’m going.






















“We are going to the Tea House today.” said Rose
“How are we getting there?”
“Well by taxi, then a gondola, finally trails.” said Rose
“How far are the trails?”
“About 2 hour’s long.” said Rose
“Mom I don’t want to walk 2 hours of trails. Can’t we like take the gondola all the way there or even the taxi?”
“No, the taxi can only take us to the gondola. Then the gondola can take us to the trails, but it can’t go all way up the mountain. It’s steep half the time.” said Rose
“Steep half the time! I do not want to do this mom. That will be so boring. It’s a waste of time, mom.”
“It is not a waste of time. You will go or go and get your phone and computer taken from you. So, what is it going to be?” said Rose
“I’ll go on my free will.”
“Good, now let’s move it! If you’re not out in 60 seconds your phone is being taken.” said Rose
It took five minutes to get to the lobby. We had to stop on almost every floor, to let people on and off. Next time I’m taking the stairs. I don’t care if there are 10 flights.
“Where is the Taxi?” asked Erik
“I do not know Erik; now stop pacing around like a business man.” said Jack
“Finally there’s the taxi!”
“Dad, what is this place called?”
“It is called Mt. Hunshan, Hiking trail” said Jack
Once we were in the tiny taxi, everyone was so loud. They wouldn’t stop yelling at each other! Next time I have to get in a taxi, I’ll get a second taxi to take.
“Ouch, get off me! If you sit on me one more time I’m going to kill you!” said Nina
“Do not talk like that to your brother young lady! One more time and I’m going to take the computer away for a week.” said Rose
“Why did we not get two taxis?” asked Erik
“First it would have been too much money. Second we don’t need it, there’s enough room in here.” said Jack
It has been like one hour in this taxi and I’m squished to death in here. I wish I was old enough to make my own decisions, like were I could go on a sunny day, and not be with my parents. That would be awesome, if it would ever happen. That will prombly happen in 7 years when I’m out of the house. Until then I’m stuck with a stupid brother and unspeakable parents. I call them Mr. and Mrs. Hitler. My social studies teacher would be mad if she found that out.
“Finally here we are!! I can’t wait to get out of this tiny taxi carish thing!”
“Well clam down, we can’t get out until he parks and I pay him.” said Rose
“Well I don’t care; the only thing I care about is that we are here. Now how long until we are on the gondola?”
“Well when we get out of the taxi all we have to do is head up the path to it and get on.” said Jack
“Ok, then pay this guy and lets get out.” said Erik

Once we were up the path there was a very short line. I wonder why there was not a long line. I thought lots of people went hiking in China. It wasn’t even much money to pay to get in the gondola too. I ask mom why it was short and why it was little to pay, but all she said is “You will see.”
The gondola was not too small, but it was not huge either. At least this time no one was sitting on each other. There was just enough room to stand up, like in an elevator. The ride was 30 minutes long. The only thing was that when I saw the trail, I almost cried. That was way too long and steep. I couldn’t even see the top of the mountain.
“Mom, Dad, I am not going on that mountain trail even if that was the only way home. That is way too steep for me. If you want me up there then you must take everything away from me to get me up there.”
“Now Nina, you will go up that mountain. It is just 2 hours long. If you have the right footing and grip, you will not fall off.” said Rose
“Um, what do you mean by fall?” asked Erik
“She means that if you’re really clumsy or tired, you will die, falling off the mountain.” said Jack
“I am not going up there and that’s that.”
“Well you are, since you can’t go back down with out us. You must be 16 or older to be up here by your self. So you’re with us the whole time. Unless you want us to go to jail for leaving you up here.” said Rose
When she said that, I was thinking to myself; is this lady crazy!? Who in there right mind would go here as an escape from their parents? The only reason could be if they wanted to die at a young age. I just couldn’t see that.
“If I can not go back down then I must go up. Mom, Dad, you own me big time.”
“No we don’t, you’re the one who is agreeing to go up.” said Rose
About five minute up the trails; I remember something very important. I needed to go to the bathroom. “Mom, um were do we go to the bathroom?”
“Well there are bathrooms everywhere. There’s one, then there’s one.” said Rose
“Um, where would that be?”
“The trees. I do not like your tone young lady either.” said Jack
“What?! I am so not using a tree. That is not a young lady thing to do. We girls use bathrooms. Not trees.”
“Well then you are not using the bathroom.” said Rose
“Fine I’ll use a tree.”
About a half hour from when we started, we were at the paths, my parents said. I didn’t see anything except a mountain and boards with chain railings. I even ask where and they said there looking at the mountain. I gasped when I realized that they were talking about the boards and chain railings. I said I can’t do that! I’m too clumsy! But they said I had too. I was so mad. So instead of looking at the mountain, I decided to look at the flowers around me. One was purple and smelled like a grape. The yellow smelled like a stick of butter. I laughed at that one. It was so unusual to smell a butter and grape flower. Well when mom said it was time to go up the mountain, I said bye to the flowers and my life.
Once we started, I didn’t look down even though it was only 2 feet. I was so scared. Once 1 hour past, (I asked mom how long we had been going up the mountain.) So we were about half way done. I saw someone coming the other way.
“Mom, there is someone coming towards us.”
“Ok, well let them go first then keep going.” said Rose
“Um, how?”
“Get as close as you can to the wall and let them grab the others side of you and let them slide by you.” said Jack
“Hi, may I get by here or do you want to go around me?” said the Lady
“You may go around us.” said Jack
“Thank you very much. I will not keep you waiting then.” said the Lady
So the lady went past dad, then mom. She did the best by Erik. Next was me.
“Don’t worry, I will not hurt you.” said the Lady
Breathe in and out, breathe in and out. She will not hurt you. She will not hurt you. Then I looked down.
“Aw!!”
Everyone looked at Nina at that second. She was hanging on to the board with both hands.
“Someone please help me. Please!”
“Ok, clam down. Breathe in and out. Hold on very tight.” said Rose
“I can’t, my hands hurt a lot. Please help me.”
“We are going to. Just breathe. Erik, I’m going to go around you to Nina. So let me past.” said Jack
Once he went around Erik, he tried crouching next to me. Now that looked really hard. But it looks easy to me since I was the one holding on for dear life.
“Ok, I am going to grab your hand and you are going to use the other hand to grab the chain. Then pull you’re self up. Ok?” asked Jack
“Yes I understand.”
“Ok, one, two, three. Give me your hand, now.” Said Jack
I grab his hand and he didn’t even have to mover his; and let my other hand grab the chain; that was hard, since the chain was far up. Once I grab the chain I try pulling my self up. I had a thought right there to pay attention in gym more often. I grab it and pulled so hard that my face turned as red as an apple when fully ripped. Once I was up, everyone smiled and said good job to dad.
Once we started again. It wasn’t long until we hit the stairs. I was so glad that I didn’t have to hold unto those chains for another hour or two. Once we were at the top, it was beautiful. The trees were all different colors. The flowers smelled wonderful. One even smelled like chocolate. I ask my mom if we could buy that plant tomorrow from a flower store. She said yes.


When an hour went bye and was 5:30pm, we decided that we would head down before it got dark. I even told my self if I looked down, I would die. When we were at the road two and half hours later. I just smiled and thought I could have died today, if it wasn’t for my father who I call Hitler. I went to sleep fast that night. I will never forget that day, ever.