Mountain trekking

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Matt’s in Brazil, Ty and Jessie have vacation. So what’s a mom to do with 2 teenagers who have a week of time on their hands in China? Hmmm, something active. I know, lets climb a mountain! So climb we did. Not anything like what the local porters did, but enough to make all of our little American legs fatigued and ready for rest.

Huangshan, also known as Yellow Mountain, is reputed to be the most lovely mountain in all of China. Rocky, breathtaking, dotted with tenacious odd shaped pines - a play land for those who love to breathe in fresh air while challenging their bodies and stimulating their visual senses. We started our adventure with an 11-hour train ride in a comfy sleeper car, waking to mountain scenery. Passing by peaceful looking simple villages, it was reminiscent of the view of hillbilly shacks out our car window on I75 through Kentucky - only Asian style. People washing clothes in the streams, fields of flowers, cows - a wonderful switch from the city life we lead.

Driving 2 hours from the train station and then ascending 15 minutes straight up in a cable car, we still are longing to see what our accommodations will be like. An additional 20-minute walk from the cable car up to our hotel places us in 1 of 5 hotels in this preserved region of China. Mostly Asians visit this idyllic spot, but a few foreigners are mixed in from all around the globe. Not many kids and after walking the edges of mountain drop-off’s, legs wobbling at the thought of what lies below, it’s easy to understand why! Aside from the natural beauty, the most amazing sight is watching the “porters” carry goods up and down the mountain using nothing but some flat shoes, strong legs, and a long bamboo pole with their load cantilevered out onto the ends. They trek over 3 hours straight up the mountain and 3 hours back down again hauling anything from the daily hotel bed linens to large oil vats to all the hotel food to miscellaneous supplies to garbage. EVERYTHING needs to be hauled daily, by foot, to both provide work for the local people and also to preserve the mountain from the pollution generated from daily washing or refuse.

Once on the mountain, I can see why Deng Xiaoping earmarked this region for preservation. The Chinese have constructed paved pathways and aesthetic guardrails along many routes in the mountains. Not so tall, the highest peak being around the elevation of Denver, the mountain is nonetheless remarkable for it’s rugged nature. Also interesting is how much the Chinese people appreciate the natural beauty. Is it because so many of them live in heavily populated cities with few views of blue skies? On our morning sunrise hike, we were surrounded by hundreds of camera toting Asians who were willing to rise at 5:30am to view the sunrise over the mountain. First sight of the sun brought audible oohs and ahhs and excited chatter. Have we Americans lost a bit of our innocent awe of our natural resources? I wonder as I note, as I have noted many times in China, the enthusiasm that the Chinese people show toward simple things.

After enjoying the mountain for a day or so, we head back down and visit two 800-year-old villages, Hongcun and Xidi. We pass by hillsides dotted with tea plantations and by mountain streams and fields of “rapeseed” - the plant used to make canola oil. In the village of Hongcun, we enjoy a “local” lunch. My first taste of bamboo. Wow! Enough words - enjoy the pictures!

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Photos

cozy train
We shared our 4-bed sleeper car with our wonderful Ayi, Angel, who traveled with us as far as her hometown. Ty and Jessie thought they were camping again - snacks in the bunk, scenic window views, little reading lights and books - Good night John Boy.

1,000,001...1,000,002...1,000,003...
These porters are nearing the top of their upward mountain haul. Step after step. Once we stepped off the cable car, porters were there to carry our luggage the additional 20 minutes up to the hotel also. Wow! And we were huffing with just our daypacks on our backs!

Bei hai hotel
Felt like a lodge. The hardest beds we've ever slept on. Nonetheless, the food was plentiful, unusual, and tasty and the ambiance was peaceful.

Locked in love
Huangshan tradition offers lovers a chance to "lock their love" with a personalized padlock hung on the guard chain. The key? Of course, tossed over the edge to the valley far below.

Crouching Photographer, Hidden Mom...
Windy, beautiful weather. We all laughed at the timing of this shot. Did you know that the village below the mountain, Hongcun, was where the famous movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was filmed? More to come...

Not so close Jessie.....
This edge is scenic yet dangerous. Every year someone dies from a fall at this spot.

Huangshan sunrise
A bit cloudy, but still beautiful. This region is noted for ghostly clouds hanging in the mountain tops when the conditions are right. We experienced it a bit as we were leaving.

valley scenery
The yellow flowers are the "rapeseed" plant used in making canola oil. The hillside in the background is dotted with "tea bushes". This region is famous for it's green tea. I tried it but decided that this is one healthy habit I'm not yet ready to acquire!

Hongcun
This ancient village was the scene of the "over water" fight in the movie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Recognize it? This layout of the village represents the innards of a water buffalo. Many little canals represent the intestines. This large body of water represents the stomach.

Traditional Anhui lunch
There is always way more food served in a Chinese lunch than one can eat. Usually it contains lunch and multiple dishes. Always tea and soup are served for liquids. Our soup contained egg and tomato. The dishes were, clockwise from top left, egg with vegetable, bamboo in the best sauce ever, chicken parts with bone and skin, and unknown mushy vegetable with pork pieces. Yes, Ty went hungry many times. Believe it or not, the Chinese beer was a welcome refreshment. Not too strong for this non-beer drinker.

A chance encounter...
I always welcome any opportunity to spend time with the beautiful Chinese children. This school group passed us by and later we entered their school room where they treated us to songs, excited chatter, wide smiles, and multiple "hello!"s.

Friends
Couldn't resist one more cute kid photo. The children were sweaty from the multiple layers of clothes (the Chinese believe in WARMLY dressing their children!) and hiking on the warm day.

Split pants
This little tyke was just learning to walk. Being the devious person I am, I used this opportunity to sneak a photo of the backside showing the typical Chinese baby "split pants". They don't believe in diapers here - get the picture?

The whole crew...
Minus me, here is our traveling crew. Our guide, Jerry, and our driver, Pang joined us for a wonderful dinner at a place only locals knew of. Line ups waiting for tables indicated the level of quality. Even Ty enjoyed it - well at least some of it!