Poor Doyley

He did not enjoy that

 

That's brilliant

 

I know exactly how he feels when he walks out onto that platform. It's strange. I have no problem with cable cars, roller coasters or ski lifts. But standing or walking close to a drop is horrible.

 

Especially if you've just seen your wife looking through the life insurance policies huh?

 

That was hilarious, mainly because I'd be pretty much the same. I hate heights with a passion, I struggle on those long fecking escalators on the London Underground let alone cable cars. Saying that being at 37,000 feet in a plane doesn't bother me at all (but they do serve alcohol on those planes, so that might help )

 

I am exactly the same, heights really mess me up. And yes, miles up in sky isn't an issue. I think that it must be because being in a flying cigar tube means that there is very little to which to relate, there are no points of reference. I am always far worse at a few hundred feet than lots of thousands. As a very long term narrow boater I have been over the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct many times, face down on the boat bed until I get the call that we are over. The towpath side has railings, the other side 6 inches of cast iron trough, then 122 feet of fresh air. It's terrifying.

 

I would be the same. I think its because you can't fall off an aeroplane. Thats why I don't mind roller coasters or ski lifts where you are locked in. But bridges, city walls etc give me the shakes - what a wuss. I don't know where I get it from because I have an old photo of my dad stood on top of Listers Mill chimney holding onto the lightening conductor!

 

I won't even go upstairs on a bus....!!

 

Absolutely with Doyle and others even cable cars, twice was enough! Flying is something I did a lot of as there were zero alternatives

 

Never trusted a cable car ever since I saw Where Eagles Dare !

 

You wouldn't like the Langkawi SkyCab in Malaysia. It holds some sort of record for the longest mono span cable car and it is a very very long way down.
I really enjoyed it but a friend of mine had a horrendous experience on it. Halfway along there was some sort of malfunction and their cab stopped and even worse the doors slid open. She said it was terrifying, it probably didn't last long but it seemed ages before the doors closed. They had to come down the same way. She now won't go on anything similar

 

Jeez, can't say I blame her.

 

The only times I've used one was Rio in 89, can't go all that way and not go up the Sugar Loaf, it only lasted about 5 mins and I spent the whole time looking at the floor gripping a bar, got off only to find it was in two parts. Second time was when we missed the last ferry from Sentosa Island back to mainland Singapore and the only option was 300' up in a 4 person cabin , which stopped midway. It's been upgraded and bridge and road built since (universal studios)

 

About 18 years ago we were in Beijing, and took the opportunity to visit the Great Wall. Had I known that the only way up was via a very disturbing sort of chair lift affair I might have had second thoughts. It went up a hill, not just from the bottom to the top of the Wall. As it was we were there when I found out, and when was I ever going to get a chance to walk on the Great Wall again. It was the only time that I have ever seriously sworn at Higher Authority, when she tried to distract me halfway up the ascent. The descent on the other hand was huge fun, down a slide. I was almost ready to endure the chair lift just for another go.

 

Lol, wife went over that a few weeks ago in a canoe. Made me sick just looking at the photos.

 

Fair play to him, clearly shitting himself but he still did it.

 

Which bit of the wall did you visit? We are going later on this autumn and are going to the wall at Jinshanling, a bit further out from Beijing.

 

To be absolutely truthful I can't remember the name of the actual bit of the Wall we visited. It was some way out of Beijing, and was nowhere near as commercialised as I expected. We had an excellent taxi driver who had been recommended to us by a friend. He called himself John, probably to make it easier for Western clients, and was still operating ten years ago when my ex-wife hired him. She found him via Google but I have no idea if he is still working. If he is I would have no hesitation in recommending him.

 

We have a driver and guide already booked. It takes a couple of hours drive to get to Jinshanling, so is not crowded at all. Most tourists go to the wall at Badaling, which is mayhem apparently, there is another part of the wall open half way between the two called Mutianyu.