I Could Fly?

I woke up this morning feeling joyful and physically light. I decided it would be the day to dash down the mountain. Chen had two female roommates who moved in with her last night and they teamed up to head down the mountain together.

People had different takes on how long it would take to get down the mountain. I wasn’t sure at all. After two days of seclusion in meditation, I felt I could fly. In fact, I ran down the mountain in just two hours. I had no idea how fast I was going until I was down in the valley at the main gate and checked the time.

While running down the mountain a passed a young man who decided to be competitive and run too. On the way down I saw lots of people who were hiking up that looked like they were in pain. It’s a difficult hike I my opinion and they should have taken the cable car up and then hike downward.

The trail from the main gate up to the central mountain is rigorous. And then from the central area through the Western Sea trail up to top valley is more intense. It is best to start from Eastern Gate up to the Swam Peak, go west to do Western Sea Trail down to Central area then back down into main gate.

I took the main gate shuttle to the bus terminal where I bought a ticket heading toward Jiu Hua Shan “Nine Flower Mountain”. I had missed the direct bus to Jiu Hua Shan. There was only one per day at 6:20am. Being intent on being in Jiu Hua Shan tonight I decided to find ways to make transfer buses that will get me there. It was only 11:30am what else am I going to do?

I was dropped off at the nearest intersection for Jiu Hua Shan by the bus driver who called for a cab to pick me up to drop me off at Jiu Hua Shan gates. This way I would save myself an hour of extra detour to Tai Ping where the bus was headed. It was arranged that I would only need to pay 10 yuan for this cab ride.

As I approached the cab I noticed there was a driver and another man sitting in the shotgun seat. The driver was under the command of the man in the shotgun seat. It turns out this man was an owner of a hotel in town not on Jiu Hua Shan. He wanted my business for the night. He spent his time trying to convince me how I don’t need to visit the mountain. All I have to do is go to this one monastery and it would be good enough. In fact, said he, that most of his clients do this upon his recommendation. He continued to teach me his form of Buddhism that involved offering money here and there and then burning pyramids of incense here and there. Why? Because he also has a connection to an incense shop. Maybe he gets commissions or something. Maybe he owns the shop. He insisted that I need to buy incense and it is cheaper at this shop he recommends.

The man continue to try to derail me from going into Jiu Hua Shan. He took me to a monastery outside of the gates that was working on expansion. He instructed me to make an offering of any amount. The monk at the desk was ready to write my name on the merit and virtue sign in book to log me in when I pulled out the nearest money I had and it was 5 yuan. Seeing my sum, the monk stopped me from signing my name on the booklet. I guess it wasn’t really any amount that was all good. I guess only certain amount was considered meritorious.

Outside this monastery one can pay a sum to have a, no joke, incense bundled in the form of a 6X5 feet pyramid tower outside. I passed on such an activity and the man told me how as a Buddhist I know nothing about Buddhism, blah, blah, blah….. Afterwards, I continued to keep up with my determination to not get derailed by his business intentions through using the name of Buddhism.

Wet Dogs and Cats

I got up at 6:30am and checked out the weather conditions outside. It was still dark grey and misty full of precipitation. The trails were very wet from all the rain. So I decided that I would stay for another day.

People who hiked up yesterday all looked like wet dogs and cats who have been in the cold rain for hours lost. Lots of people got ill. Today is not too bad of a day to head down compared to yesterday. It may snow, but the temperature has to drop to cold snow temperature then the sun will come out. I think will wait and see what will come. I have my EarthWare shoes on because all the national parks in China have stone steps everywhere. There is no dirt trails so I left my hiking shoes with the rest of my stuff.

I used to the hot water heater to steam up some warmth in the room. It is my only method of heating up the room without a real heater. I spent the rest of the day meditating. It was my own little seclusion space. The cold really makes it quite ideal for meditation.

In the evening I went back to the hotel restaurant and by then the staff knew about my order. I made it very simple for them by getting the same dish every meal so they wouldn’t be confused and will be able to learn to make my order catered to my exact instructions. It is eggplant and bell pepper with bok choy. Simple huh! You’d be surprised on how people can get it wrong by adding lard, msg, pieces of meat, onion, garlic, chives, leeks, shallots, or wine to it.

Tonight two Shandong ladies were my new bunk mates. They were very nice ladies who work at a factory. One of them insisted on having the TV on all night to dry her socks. I really didn’t like that or wanted to agree to it. But who wants to hike in wet socks?

Black Snake

Last night went to bed at 12:30am, I was flat out tired. After turning off the lights for the night, the room was pitch dark. Even in the dark I saw a black snake. Yup black on black and I could even tell. I was too tired to bother and soon after I learned it was a mistake to not take care of the matter because I was not going to get any quality peaceful sleep that way. I had to get up and take care of the matter and I didn’t enjoy it at all. But better my way than its way.

Dreaming of Pumpkin Pies

I am dreaming of pumpkin pies, mashed potato, corn bread, and cranberries for Thanksgiving. I got up early like the rest of the people in the room at 6:30am for a view of the sunrise with their tour group. Well, it was still pouring outside, I doubt it’s going to go according to plans. The women from XingJiang told me to go back to bed and stay out of the rain.

I tried to call Chen to cancel our scheduled breakfast at 7:15am to decide if we would head down the mountain or not but her cell phone was off and I just stayed in bed. She came and found me in bed. I told her I didn’t want to walk in the rain but if her schedule was tight and she needed to head down the mountain then we would part here. Plus she’s paying three times more than I am per night so her expense is more. Chen convinced me to accompany her to breakfast only to sit through hearing her talk about how fat she’s going to get by eating. She’s like a size zero in the U.S. She’s not even fat by Chinese standards.

I returned to my room and meditated. I really like meditating on Huang Shan with the sounds of the rain outside. I really enjoyed a day of down time in rest and meditation.

Five Degrees

Today I met a guy named Xiao Xi from Gansu. He was traveling alone and does regular backpacking activities. He handed me his China park pass. In U.S. it would be similar to a Golden Eagle pass for the National Parks. Here his card allowed free entrance on some places and discounts on others and then there are no perks for some too. He did the west trail ascending the harder way, I was going the opposite direction, descending the easier route. We planned to meet later in the Youth Hostel where my packs were.

It was fun to trek 13 hours for both days. But I was ready for a good rest and getting myself properly cleaned up after 5 hours of train ride to ShaoGuan, then another 20 hours of train ride to Anhui, 13 plus hours of hiking, and 4 days later.

At the White Cloud Hotel that is located in Central Huang Shan, I was able to check into my 40 yuan dorm bed thanks to the travel agent. I could not have gotten that rate or the bed without his consent by cell phone through the front desk of the hotel. He and his tour group had already made it down the mountain and was on a bus to SuZhou.

My room was set up youth hostel style with bunks. It had a TV and a water heater. The sink and toilet were shared detached outside the room. There was no access to shower with this rate of accommodation. It is cheaper than last night’s, the window here closes, the blankets weren’t damp and mildewy, and I don’t have to exit the building to use the toilet.

Chen’s place was in another hotel nearby. Her room had heater, TV, personal shower, toilet with running hot water, and the beds were still bunk style. It was for 120 yuana night, pre-registered through her travel agent in Fujian. It normally ran higher than that on a walk in or direct call without travel agent arrangement. Chen recommended that I stay with her. But there was no availability at that rate so she let me use her showers.

My bunkmates for the night were from XingJiang. They recommend I see it in September after the nut and fruit harvest after the heat and before the cold. They shared their food with me. But I passed on their dry bread and dried meat links.

It is 5 degrees celsius here in the mountain. There are rumors that it may drop below zero and have first of the snow for this year. I wonder if I would catch the first glimpse of snow for the year while I am here. What an amazing sight it would make here.

Where the Immortals Dwell

The tour group that I just helped myself to left this morning at 5:30am to see the sunrise. Knowing how the weather was like last night, there would not be enough clearing to see sunrise at all. I stayed in bed until it was time to meet up with Chen to pair up together to hike the Western Sea Trail at 8am.

Chen came to find me earlier than our scheduled time. We headed for breakfast. We ate a lot knowing it would be our meal. The western trail is unpopular due to the difficulty in hiking it. So there isn’t enough incentive for vendor to have stands there. I packed my “man-toe” and stuffed it with pickled vegetables for the road.

Hiking up the eastern trail to connect with the western trail from here means going mostly downhill this way. This was the way to do it and not the other way around. The experience is full of surprise, mystery, imagination, beauty, and joy. I found myself turning my head around a lot making sure I got glimpse of this turn and that corner. You just don’t know what nature will reveal to you in a flash. Every moment is different and if you missed it you missed it.

This is where the scrolls of ink brush paintings come from. This is what the poets go off on for inspiration. This is where backdrops for stories on immortals and “kong fu” legends.

I went through some caves and at the entrance, it would be pitch dark and then after the turn it would be light but foggy and misty, feels like a holy somebody would be waiting there. And holy music would be played and sung in the background as I approached. There is quite a lot of room for imagination. I really felt like I was in a heaven or something, definitely not in a human realm.

Most people take an average of 3 to 5 hours to do this trail, Chen and I took 7 hours with our long breaks of, “ooooooo, ah………..” lost in amazement and majestic beauty.

Naked Trees

I met a man named Chio, “Autumn” who was a biology teacher and had a distinct scar from surgery on his face. It looked like the marking after a tobacco gum disease surgery. He was hiking alone because his friends preferred the cable car ride up. We paired up to do the East Trail up and hiked for 3 hours in the fog.

I really enjoyed the fog as a back drop to the winter trees, highlighting the forms, lines, details. I found it to be very beautiful this way. With the fog moving in and out it appeared as if each tree was being moved in and out to be showcased. On this trip I have grown an appreciation for the beauty of winter in what it can provide. I have also appreciate what winter can reveal while hidden during other seasons. It is hard to imagine the form, line, structure of the tree when it if fully clothes in leaves. Now in winter naked, I can fully appreciate the patterns, textures, colors, form on the bare tree.

The locals all warned me about the fog that it isn’t the best time to see Huang Shan. But it is the exact reason why I came to see Huang Shan hoping to catch it in misty, drifting, fog. The fog brings it an added element of fluidity. It is playful and dances around the mountain, dressing it however it liked.

I made it up to White Goose or Swan Peak and at that moment the clouds dispersed and a bit of the sun came through. It was an amazing sight. I snapped away. Each second was a different presentation of the mountain by the sea of clouds promenading around the mountains. Within 5 minutes the mountain was covered and had disappeared until the next showing. This progressed throughout the rest of the time here.

My trekking took a halt after 3:30pm when the thick rain clouds moved in. It started to drizzle, although it was only later afternoon, it was dark in the thick fog. It was no longer safe to travel because under this kind of condition, even a flash light won’t get you far.

I checked into the hotel along with someone else’s tour group. The tour guide was kind to just pick me up without charge. He set me up with a bed in a room for 50 yuan a night. The room however had a window that didn’t fully shut. I covered it with newspaper. I went to a different room to find another blanket to keep me warm for the night. The restroom was in the lobby of the hotel. This dorm room like set up was not a part of the hotel but a prepaid place paid for by tour agencies all year around. The money goes to the agency not the hotel.

I also me a lady named Chen from Fujian where Xiamen is . She is a CPA accountant who is traveling alone. She too is a vegetarian. She became a vegetarian for health reasons. She discovered this year that she had an incurable immune system disease that went away after becoming a vegetarian.

Crooked Karma

Although I was extremely tired from the lack of proper rest last night, I was also excited about hiking Huang Shan and decided to dash out to hit the trails without anymore delays. I got on a bus for Huang Shan National Park it took 1-2 hours on the public bus. I had missed the youth hostel bus shuttle to Huang Shan by 20 minutes.

Upon approaching the park area, a couple and a man had gotten off at an intersection for Huang Shan where the main gate was, they both looked at me as if I should be getting off too. I looked at the bus driver and he said he would take me closer to the gate and not to follow the couple who is entering at a different spot.

The bus rolled a few yards forward and stopped in front of a hotel. The door opened and a lady from the hotel greeted me as if she knew I was coming. The bus driver told me to get off here. I said, “this is not the Huang Shan front gate entrance.” Mean while,the hotel lady told me it was too late to enter the park that I should stay at her hotel and take shorter sight seeing spots instead. It was like 8:30 am, I'd call that morning, not early, not late, but plan old morning. The bus driver then said this bus does not go to the Huang Shan gate entrance and I would have to get off here to catch a cab to the entrance. This was totally not what he just said to me earlier a few yards away when the couple got off. The bus driver kicked me off the bus.

I reluctantly got off the bus knowing clearly at that moment I was tricked by the bus driver who had business with this particular hotel. That I should have gotten off at the other spot where the three got off. As the bus zoomed off, the hotel lady continued to try to convince me to enter her hotel. Well, I didn’t buy her sales pitch and I was quite irritated at this point. The hotel lady refused to help me since I refused her business. I don’t have a problem considering staying at her place later but I just don’t like it when other’s try to confuse me by lying to me all to benefit them in total disregard to my plans.

I was stuck on the road again, all alone middle of nowhere, after getting dumped off by the driver. It’s been my karma of getting dropped off somewhere else other than my destination after paying for my fare, after the driver promised he was going where I was going. I stood there on the street trying to clear my head of all that just happened within 5 minutes of verbal exchange wondering how I keep finding myself in this kind of situation.

I stood there wondering whether or not I have been a crook for many lifetimes and dealt this kind of business without integrity. What can I do but have a sense of humor and adventure about it. It’s my karma and it’s my harvest to reap.

I started to walk just because I needed to do something else other than stand and be a sitting duck. I should at least look like I know what I am doing and I am heading somewhere. Then I saw a cab pulled up and three people were quickly trying to get in. I ran towards them and asked if they too are going to the gate. They acknowledged and agreed to let me squeeze with them. The driver didn’t mind at all because he was getting more money with me as the additional rider. I agreed to paying 10 yuan for my ride. There was a free shuttle that ran from the main gate to the other gates. But I missed that didn't I.

This group I carpooled with turned out to be the people I needed to be with because through them and their tour guide, I was able to get the special tour group rate for a dorm bed at 40 yuan a bed on Huang Shan. Everything else was 120 yuan to 400 plus yuan and at these prices it did not necessarily include heater for your room.

So maybe the driver was really my guide who was in the process of helping me connect the right people. I have found this to be true throughout my trip. Whatever seems like an interruption, whatever that seemed like things are not going according to plan, it seemed to always work out for the better, the other better plan.