Huang Long - 10.24

We rose at the same time as yesterday. Breakfast was quite nice, lots of variety. Even powdered milk and good steamed sweet and savory buns. Perhaps it was because of that our departure from the hotel was delayed by 10 minutes. I was intent on getting some more sleep before Huang Long but alas that would have made it a good group tour experience.

The guide spent 20 minutes telling a story about the waters and mountains of JZG, the Ming mountain range to which JZG mountains belong, and the highest peak of which Bao Xue Feng (Treasure Snow Peak). Apparently it was the japanese that first climbed it, and in a dramatic blizzard survival story, they discovered a high purity alpine crystal vein. By this time I realized this is just another sly, elaborate sales pitch. Surely, as soon as the story concluded, the bus pulled into a crystal shop, a regional government requisited stop for all tour groups, so the guide says. Half an hour later, we pulled out and not 10 minutes past we entered another store, this one a medicine outlet with free lecture on how to recognize fakes. Along with the yak meat processing store we visited on the first day, we have been sold all three of the notable local products.

If everyone on this tour was westerners, we'd have at most spent 5 minutes at each store and called it a day. But the chinese lingered even past the amount of time the guide set out. And of course everytime, someone buys something. Then ironically, they complain vehemently afterwards about being herded into unwanted shopping sites, blaming the guide for having their time wasted purchasing things instead of seeing the actual destinations. I was this close to yell at them how much they were to blame for the lost of my time time, and for the general proliferation of tour shopping stops in china. That's probably what I hate the most about joining tours.

Through the Chuan Zhu Si town, over a high pass (4000m+), past yaks and sheeps and skinny tibetan snowmen, we rolled into Huang Long at 10 past 10. At this time, the guide finally announced we would have less than 2.5hrs to sightsee. Frustrated, annoyed, but more than those I was much too eager to take full advantage of the precious remaining time to start any arguments. Like at JZG they parked the bus about 10 minutes from the main gate, instead of dropping us off first.

Village near the road	Shelter for tibetan roadside mechanic

On the way to the gate syl got another Qing Lou pancake; the vendor called it "thousand layer". It was as tasteless like the tea egg I got right next to it.

Huang Long was surprising empty compared to JZG. I thought the scenery would be much the same, but it was much more grand, with wide sweeping vistas of the mountains and snowy peaks, blinding glittering expanses of yellow calcified grounds, icy mountain water bubbling down joyously. HL's famous pools were indeed fascinating, if not as breathtaking as the waters of JZG. Through tens of thousands of years, the calcium in the mountain water somehow formed walls that built itself higher and higher, compartmenting into ponds that gathered the water. How comes similar things didn't form at JZG? Because of their shallowness, about a half foot or foot at most, the colors ranged from clear to green to light turquoise. Icicles had formed the few water-dwelling shrubs, and some pools laid still with a fragile sheet of ice on top.


Morning was certainly the wrong time to see HL, for the way in follow the mountain upwards, and easterwards, against the cutting blaze of the sun, making picture-taking very challenged. Couple that with our ridiculous time constraint I ended up just bracketing most of my shots. Meter, frame, shoot, run to catch up with syl. Yet we were no faster than the slower folks in our group - it was difficult to tear myself away from every stop. There were these evergreen-like trees glowing a gorgeous yellow against the mass of green pines and the solid white peaks at either end of the valley. Their small needles falling with the breezes like yellow snow flakes. On the path, there were a few places where wood planks gave way to bare muddy trail. Quaint gazebos tried to blend in with the natural scenery.


At the HL mid temple, we took a few last look and had to head back down. We were 900 meters from the top of HL where laid another Five Colored Pool. The marked downhill path was set across the main water path opposite the way up. It was fast but muddy. Down at the parking lots we had time to buy a fried potato nest and a can of sweet congee. The potatoes were cold but I really craved something fried.


We enjoyed the same alpine view on the way back while most others slept. Maybe it was the rarefied air doing the thinking, but I had such urge to visit Tibet now; to walk the roof of the world, to gaze upon the highest point on earth, to observe their colorful culture, their devotion to religion. It seemed Tibet would be a place where I may succeed in my search for people still true to the "old way" of things. For China, was no longer.

Sheep

Valley village; bus window reflection

Lunch was served at the same place we stayed the first night, and was in fact quite yummy, much better than the 4 star hotel of last night. The discussion among other folks were centered around complaints against our guide, his untactfulness, his poor time management. They also added many other decidedly unfair arguments. But these were the same people that left JZG at 2pm and walked half way up HL and considered it boring. What they came to see, I didn't know. But it certainly wasn't to appreciate the natural beauties of these areas. As to the guide, I thought he was a bit dumb, but fair for how he laid out yesterday's schedule. My bone with him was how we totally had an unacceptable amount of time in HL today. We were given feedback forms to fill out but no one did it.

Flying back to CD, we got into the city at around 5:30. We rushed to the post office we saw and threw all our excessive items into a box. Got quite a few stares since we were mailing to USA. In my hurry I accidentally put a postcard I meant to mail into the box. The box topped out to a hefty 5.4kg, and going with medium speed option the tab came out to 355Y including insurance. Kinda expensive but there was little time for pondering. Bused over to the CD CYTS and got my three gorge tour ticket for 910 and wuhan flight to xian 720.

A block away we dined at Chen Mapo Tofu, a branch of a supposedly famous franchise. I was worried it would be the chinese equivalent of Chilis or something. Good mapo tofu, very spicy. A fabulously tasty twice-cooked pork except the meat were *all* fat, so I could only pick at the green onions which soaked up all the flavor. A dish of local vegetable called Hai Ran Cai were also very yummy.

Some bearded white backpacker dude came in with the same Lets Go China book, and syl jumped at the chance to help him out. The service at this restaurant was so shitty even by chinese standards. They were a bunch of kids working there! No tea fillup, slow comprehension, and I had to call 4 times for our bill. I wished at that moment that there was a tipping system so I could give them 1cent of tip to show my dissatisfaction! Of course this launched us into yet another discussion of the chinese inefficiencies.

At a Bank of China ATM, I withdrew 2000 yuan for syl and saw her to the bus, and to a new chapter of her adventures. Myself, I walked a huge circle to Sim's cozy hotel and checked into a single room. It was quick stroll made it evident that Sim's was a nicer place than Holly's, with a media room, ping pong table, row of tables by a pond where backpackers sat eating dinner in open air. A bar, a 6 station internet room, and many small lounge/sitting areas strewn about. The washroom was clean with your choice of sit-down or squat toilets; the bright shower area had private locking doors and shower mirrors. It was a busy night there, with quite a lot of chinese folks mixed in with the young foreigners.

It being an old style building, the rooms were very susceptible to all the noises and lights from the hallway. But I had everything I needed in the room: mirror, lots of plugs, a night table, bed lamp, and a small desk. The staff were very friendly; one girl perhaps a little too friendly, but maybe its just me. All in all this definitely looked like a place I would come again and stay longer.

Tomorrow, 6am pickup. GROAN!

500ml water 3. Tea egg 1. Qing Lou "thousand layer" pancake 3. Fried potato nest 3. Canned sweet congee 5. Airport bus 10. Mail 5.4kg package with 1k yuan insurance 355. Bus 16 1. Three gorge cruise 910. Wuhan flight to Xian 720 (no rebate). Dinner 48. Withdrawl 2500 + 10 fee. Single room no bath @ sim's 50. 1.5L water 3. 10 minutes internet 1.