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.
