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This mountain range is very famous in China and people flock from all over to see it. The plot for the movie 'crouching tiger, hidden dragon' was took from the legend of the mountain. Or so i was told.
Was told it was easy to get to by bus. That was a lie. The bus station in Xi'an was worst than the crowds of women at a Tom Jones concert. Took ages to force my way to the front as noone every queques for anything. Finally got my ticket and headed through the security check. So many buses i did not know where to begin. Ticket was took of my hand by a conductor and she marched me right up to where i was meant to be.
The bus was full and i got the last seat. Everyone was staring as usual. The buses that go on the highway are not allowed standing passengers and the toll booths and police check radomly. However the driver and conducter stop outside the station and got another 10 passengers on. It was funny watching them getting told to crouch down at every set of traffic lights. Just before the highway they all left
staircase to heaven
the mountain is one big staircase. Led Zepplin must have been here beforethe bus. Once we got past the toll booth the bus parked for 5minutes. Out of nowhere the all came running back on. The conductor gave them all small baby chairs to sit on. I thought it was funny at first, but after the third or fouth checkpoint we passed it started to annoy. Some of the other passengers were unhappy as well. At one point the conductor got of to go to the shop for 5minutes. It took over 3 hours on a crap bus to get there. I think te driver and conductor pocketed the money for the extra passengers as the went through so much trouble to get them there. I also nothice a few other buses doing the same thing and when you saw lots of people walking on the hard shoulder of the moterway we always stopped.
The bus stopped at the village beneath the moutain, but it was still a few miles from the starting point. The queque fro the taxis was long and i was wishing i hadnt bothered. Was asked if i wanted to get their on a motercycle taxis for 5yuan. Said yes and i was there in minutes.
There was
shop till you drop..... of the mountain
the only way up. though a shop of course a cable car available to take you most of the way up the mountain. The view was spectular, but nothing i hadnt seen before at home. The big difference was the number of people that were there. It was Labour day, a national holiday and whole familys came to visit the place. You had to walk in single file everywhere and at a few points to had to climb up rope ladders. Was intresting if a bit scary that if one person fell he would take another ten with him.
It was also funny, but typical China that at the top of the five peaks there were small shops that sold you food and drink. People trying to sell you photographs of yourself. You would never get that on Ben Lomond.
On the way back to the cable car i saw a small area with tents pitched up. It was for the police to stay in as they stay there for a full week. Why would you need police on a mountain???
The queque for the cable car was chaotic. You had people pushing passed each other or about 300yards to get to the ticket booth to buy tickets. Took
an hour to get there. Then everyone had to somehow get into single file at the gates from about eight people wide. The single file only moved at six at a time as that was all that was allowed in the cable car. It was one of the worst experiences of my life. The worst thing was we were up over a 1000ft and this was happening. Was happy to get back down.
The bus back was half empty and only took two hours. It was a good and bad day for many reasons. An experience to remember, but not one i plan to repeat.
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