Climbing the Yellow Mountains
Trip Start
Jul 08, 2007
1
12
31
Trip End
Sep 13, 2007
Huangshan,
China
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Arranged to meet everyone in the lobby at 7.30, we then walked down the road (sticking right to the outside edge!!) to where the busses pass by so we can catch one to go to the gondola at Yun Gu Si which will save us about two hours of walking up steps. George had arranged it that at the gondola we went into the VIP area because we are Verry important People and should get every luxery we can!! It was a room away from everyone else and it ment that we got onto the Gondola first and i was able to bag a standing space in front of the window!!
The Gondola can hold around 30+ people. It took about 5mins to get up to the top where a wall of sound hit us as we got off the gondola. You would expect that being in the mountains you would be able to have some peace and quiet... but that was not the case, there were a lot of tour groups on the mountain. On thins trip i have learnt that the chinese like the company of lots of other people even places that you would think are for solitude. and when they are in the groups you can heat them coming from a long way off. This is the one thing i was really annoyed about. I had been looking forward to some peace and quiet looking at the beautiful scenery but that was not to be until we got far away from the normal tourist trails out to the grand canyon.
The day wasnt as nice as i think any of us wanted itto be... the cloud was right around us and as the day went on it sunk down on to us so we would sometimes get peakes of the view throught the thinning cloud. This was also great because you never knew what you would see next and it gives you the chance to imagine what the views must be like if there wasnt any cloud!!
We walked pase Xihai hotel, past Cloud Dispelling Pavilion, past Cloud dispelling Mansion, throught the North Sea, to bright Summet and back and then to the Grand Cannyon of west (Northern Enterance) This was when George gave us some free time, Lyn and I wanted to to ezplore the canyon, Julious wanted to go to Purple Cloud Peak and the rest just wanted to have a rest. So we all did what we wanted!! The Grand Canyon was spectacular, some of the walkways were just cemented to the side of the cliff!! The views from the walkways were amazing. I know i have been saying that a lot but that is the only way to express them!! You will have to wait till i have the pictures up to see if you agree. I will put them up as soon as i can.
We hiked up to the Feilai Stone - 'Flying-over Stone' that is pearched on top of this flat rock. It is 12m high, 7.5m long and between 1.5m and 2.5m wide. It is a separate stone than the one it is resting on and it is natural. It is believe that if you touch all three of its sides that it would be good luck, so i did. I also found that some people have put coins into the cracks probably hoping for more good luck!!
The walk in total was 6 hours and was well worth it.
Along the roads are porters who carry goods and building materials to the hotels on the mountain. They are carrying loads of 40-50kg up form the bottom of the mountain not being allowed to use the gondola they have to walk the whole way up carrying these incredibly heavey loades. they have a pole across their sholders with two baggs hanging on either end. Its gotta hurt!! We were told that when we saw then to move out of their way and not to disrupt them at all. For that long climb up the mountain to the hotel they earn 100Yuan, which is equiveland to about 20NZD, 15CAD, 6BP. Anyone want that job??
At the top of the gondola i bought a book about the Yellow Mountains that show what the mountain would look like if there wasnt any cloud and in the sunrise or sunset and snow. it was 50Yuan down from 80!! Im getting better at this!!
Back at the hotel we had a free evening and after the exertion of walking all day Ben, Jo and Jen got foot masages!! I only found this out when i went into their room, i expect Ben was trying to keep it quiet, well there is no chance of tha now - it all over the internet!! I want one now!! Chinese masages are ment to be more medical than relaxing and they were wincing when the massuses hit certain areas!! but the next day they felt really good and no bad effects from the walking so something must have worked!!
