Up Tiger Leaping Gorge, 2 Crazy Flights and 1 Boat
Trip Start
Nov 13, 2007
1
79
103
Trip End
Oct 08, 2008
Yangshuo,
Guangxi Zhuang,
China
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
the last few days have been both mad followed by relaxed which has been good cos its a good balance.
we left lijiang on 5th and got a minibus up to tiger leaping gorge where we started our 2 day trek. the weather wasnt too hot (literally) and so we werent sure til we got there whether or not it would be on or not cos seemingly that neck of the woods is quite susceptible to landslides but when we got there it was all systems go and we all headed up the tiny windy path off the side of the road - it so didnt look like the start of such a prestigious trek!! the first 2 hours were mostly uphill either on concrete road and then after that through mountainy paths etc but it was damn hard work. about 3 dudes with horses had chosen to walk behind us, ready at the drop of a hat to let anyone who felt themselves waining (sp?) hop on. but at this point we were still in the sweet delusion that we could do it. stopped for lunch in a lovely guesthouse and then as the rain got heavier and heavier we headed on up the mountain. slowly and one by one we faded. the track got steeper and steeper and narrower and narrower, the rain even heavier, the fog denser and damper and the whole thing just a bit mroe miserable. and this is even before we reached the infamous "28 bends"section. i think i was the 4th to cave, i was exhausted and soaking so i clambered up on the stuardiest looking nag and off we went.
all i can say is both poor me and the poor horse. the path was about 2 inches wide with a SHEER drop to one side. the path was all slippery and very steep rock that winds and twists (28 times). at one point my horse refused to make a particularly steep step and the horseman grabbed my arm to sort of whoosh me along. infact grab is not the right verb - viciously nip in a vice-like pince more like!!! you should have seen the bruise!!!! anyway we all made it to the top one way or the other where the view was......well as good as the view we had in darjeeling = 0% visibility!!! ah well. so we all set off on foot for another 3 hours of flat/downhill through forests still in the lashings of rain til we hit the tea horse guest house with its electric blankets (i kid you not!!), comfy duvets, hot showers and exhaustive menu. good times! and all those that had laughed at me that morning for bringing a full change of clothes were certainly laughing the other sides of their faces that evening as i sat there nice and warm in my tracksuit bottoms and alpaca socks!!!!
next day was a whole other ballgame - the weather cleared up hugely and we just had the most incredible and amazing views of the valley and the mountains and the gorge it was stunning. there were a couple of tricky waterfalls to negotiate (= clamber across at the risk of being swept off the edge!!) and by lunchtime after an hour of steep ascending we arrived at tina's guest house and a welcome beer.
we headed back to lijiang a bit later (en route the driver made me close my window cos i was sitting with my back to it and he was worried i was going to fall out. after 4 full months overlanding this as you can imagine went down very well in the nic camp.)
the morning of the 7th then we headed off to lijiang airport to catch a flight to kunming and then on to guilin. i think when im in a group of people who talk / go on about me not liking flying it really heightens my nerve-level and by the time i got on the plane i was a jibbering wreck. the first flight was china eastern - not recommended - old crappy 737-300, wobbly, learner pilot im sure of it and just a general wobbly flight. 3 hours in kunming later we boarded the crazy flight to guilin - our group and about 100 teachers who had won a trip to guilin as a bonus and none of whom had ever been in a plane before i dont think. shrieking, screaming, shouting, yelling, taking a gazillion photos - it was truely surreal to be in an enclosed metal tube with these lunatics. we all seemed to have window seats with prize winning teachers next to us so alsmot everyone spent the flight with the person next to them leaning across our laps taking pics or just craning to see anything so in the end most of us ended up swapping (even me!!) cos it was easier than spending a flight with a strange person's head in your lap.
and so here i am in yangshuo and despite the gasping humidity and torretial downpours and massive storms the last 2 days its been brilliant. mary and i did a cool painting class and are now experts at creating bamboo masterpieces. we also did a lovely boat trip down the li river and went to visit a 600 year old village that still has communist slogans from the cultural revolution painted on the walls. madness.
thats about it that i can think of for now? we've some more time here before heading off to hong kong tomorrow night and the end of the trip. ive afew days there so itll be nice to relax before heading off to another intrepid adventure in australia.
hope alls well with everyone - missing you all lots
nic xx
