ChengWHO??

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Right folks, The last time we left off we were heading on a train overnight to chengdu, that was about a week ago. Or was it 10 days? No Idea anymore, just faint recollections of temples and steps. You'll soon learn why. Sitting in an internet cafe trying to kill 3hrs before our bus leaves. (so You's know what that means)
 
Already been on a bus today for 5hrs, China is huge, and starting to piss me off. Why do they have buses that leave at 7 in the eve and take 8hrs? Leaving you at your next destination at some ungodly hr of the morning when nothing is open and no-one around? Whats the point?
 
Anyway, our train from xi'an to Chengdu did much the same, it left late in the evening on the wednesday night and got us into chengdu about 6 the next morn, we found our way out of the station (last ones off train - an extra 3 mins sleep) and out into the big city with no-idea where we were going, or how to get there.
 
Luckily some guy trying to promote his brothers hostel came over and reassured us it was very veruy good, and, not in guide book cos new. Usually you run a mile when someone just comes up to you offering free transport to a new hostel, but after about 2 mins of milling about, cold and tired we decided on the new mantra - DFR. -Do Fuckin Rightly.
 
Good enough, "edward" was true to his word and took us to the hostel free of charge. It seemed fairly decent- The hostels guestbook had some glowing recommendations and just happened to be left by happy accident on the coffee table ( Not That you can get coffee in China).
 
Because it was only half six in the morn, and reception didn't open for another hr, we tinked about on the internet, happy in the expectation of irelands qualifiction. They couldn't lose to the swiss at lansdowne rd. All had a guess on scorelines, 1-0, 2-0, 2-1????
Fuck-it, Thats germany out the window then, I'm happy enough, My digestive system is gonna take a good while to recover from the lack of spuds and all the chillies over here, and the last thing i need is a pile of krauts trying to shove their bratwurst down my throat.
 
Anyway, things cheered up when we decided to go off and see the pandas. The sanctuary was only about 20k away and we heard they are best seen in the morn as its when they get fed and the only time when they're not asleep, (we think seamy was quite moved by this lifestyle cos he seems to have adapted it, coupled with the fact he only rides about once a yr we're starting to think he's escaped the sanctuary and learned to talk) So we left all bags and stuff in the luggage room and headed of in a couple of minivans.
 
True to form the panda's were lazy bastards, only gettin off their ass to reach for some more bamboo, which was usually just sittin by their paws cos the feeders had thrown it there so ling-ling wouldn't have to move her fat ass.
There was a bit of excitement when one panda tried to mount the other one, Dunno if she was female or not but she was def having none of it. No bother to our boy though who, fair play to him, wouldnt take no for an answer, even thrusting ling-ling into the enclosure wall so she couln't escape. we couldn't believe it, they only ride once a yr and here we were, watchin your man with a morning dose tryin to get some. He gave up though when she turned and started to shit. He wasn't a german panda then.
 
Our guides who drove us out and spoke no english whatsoever kept ushering us on to the next enclosure. then, with a sophisticated series of chinese/english hand gestures they let us know we could wander about but be back to the bus around 10.
So we wandered about, and seamy super wanderer, wandered about on his own. The rest of us stuck together, saw a few things and walked down to where the minivan dropped us off. we almost got on the wrong one cos there were loads and they all look alike ( the chinese that is, and the minvans). We waited, waited and waited. then the realisation that the fuckers had left us dawned. great. Seamy was outta the gang, he prob told the driver to bomb on cos he thought we were on the other bus, no sign of anyone in our group, or our hostel. 
 
OUR HOSTEL!! how the fuck do we get to our hostel, we arrived at 6 in the morn, pitch black, in a city with a bigger population than ireland! it wasn't in the guidebook - cos it new you know - and we had no idea where abouts it was on the map. We were fucked. I'd left my phone with all my stuff so there was no way of contacting seamy either.
 
Loads of taxi drivers were offering to take us back to chengdu fo only 40yuan (about 2.50 - but a total rip off) so pride got the best of us and we said Fuck off and decided to get the bus. For only 1.5 yuan (this is so cheap i don't even know what'd it'd be, three farthings or something. the bus took us into some town near chengdu. then we got a proper taxi, with a meter to drop us into the centre. From there we walked around a few hrs "its def on this street, i recognise that sign" until we found an internet cafe and looked it up. turned out we were totally wrong side of town.
Seamy was already there ofcourse but said that he'd waited 2hrs - yeah right, apparently the buses were parked inside the compound, not where they dropped us off!! 
 
Checked in and bed for a few hrs. The plan was an early night and bus the next day to EMEI SHAN (its in big writting cos its a mountain, a big mountain, a really big fuck off mountain that none of us will forget and will prob explain why in about 4 yrs time we''ll all be treated for severe arthritis).

The plan was to climb up it, stay the night, get up for the spectacular sunrise and then back down the next day. Its highest peak is only 3100mtrs, so that'd be 7hrs up, about 3hrs down then. Ofcourse we didn't get up till late and by the time we got the 3hr bus out to emei town it was to late to start climbing. didn't wanna do it in the dark, its very steep and there are monkeys about who are notoriuosly agressive. So, A 2hr bus as far up as it would go, Cable car and a one and a half km trek and we were at the top just as it was getting dark. Not that it mattered cos you could see fuck all with all the clouds. When we left chengdu we were in shorts and t-shirts and it was 25 degrees, at the top of emei shan the average temp is -1 in oct, but i'm def it was much colder.

Found The closest place to stay -DFR, at only 25 yuan a night Fuckin Right DFR. Got some supper in the coldest restaurant in the world and was in bed by 9. Nothing else to do on top of a mountain and we had to get up early for the spectacular sunrise. ":What time's Sunrise?", "dunno", "i'd Say it'd be round about half 5, or 6", "Right, set the alarms for half 5 then and we'll take a look".
 
The alarms went off and Slowly woke up, Seamy panda tried to sleep on but was lambasted for missing the sunrise. I took a look out the nearest window at about 5.45 and could see some light on the horizon, "fuck lads it getting light outside" we bounded up in record time, no way we were gonna miss this, even seamy was up, you'da swore someone had told him there was a bamboo feast outside and ling-ling was presenting.
Up to the light on the horizon, turned out to be flood lights from the building site at the top of the mountain - they're repairing the temp - another fucking one. Ended up we were about an hr early, sunrise wasnt till about quarter to 7 and even then those fucking clouds ruined it again. Was good, but not spectacular. Back to hostel, quick breakfast of lukewarm noodles and a quick sleep for seamy Up and out and down the mountain.

Dunno if I mentioned this but emeishan is 3100metersฃฌ everest is only about 8900ฃฌ so we were nearly half the height. (Very Nearly)?
Surprisingly its actually harder to come down a mountain than go up!! honestly its true! You use more muscles than you thought you had. When we were at the bottom the day before the woman in the restaurant told us to come down takes about 8hrs, 6 if you're fast. Fuck that, we has buses to catch, we wanted back in chengdu by beer o clock. Off we went, the first 2-3k was handy enough, nice easy steps, no bother to the boys who were all kitted out in the standard irish hiking gear getting strange looks from real hickers going past with kits and gortex (Standard irish hiking gear usually consists of a pair of jeans, Trainers - rebok or nike or in my case converse shoes, and Either an old saw doctors or guiness t-shirt with the sleeves ripped off)

Hood Set an early pace, bounding down the steeps no bother. we figured it was due to the extra gravity he has and his short chinese legs, perfect for the tiny steps that us longer folk had to take like 4yr olds. He soon tired though, and each of us took a turn at the pelaton, Niall most of all, leading like someone told him there were swedish students just up ahead
We did over 20k in 4hrs, and it was tough, really tough, even today, 5 days after seamy still has trouble standing up. ( I think Micky Harte Secretly take the Tyrone team up here every summer to strengthen them up.) By the bottom most of us were stripped top the bear essentials and sweatin like paedo's. The worst thing about these chinese mountains is that when you're going down, there's a suprising amount of going up. Every time we came down about 400mtrs we'd have to go up another hundred, also, once you start, you can't stop. there's a cable car at the bottom, and a car park at the top, so its all or nothing. Which is a problem if you slip and fall like niall, fortunately enough he only landed on his ass which was sufficient to take the blow.

Eventually got back to hostel and all agreed the way to kill the excrutiating pain was a quick shower(my last one for days) and out to the irish bar. Pints of stout were needed and none of us were too suprised when a pint of the black stuff cost 60yuan - about 4 quid (Are we in dublin or china). Anyway, pints wre nice but the bar was a bit shit, no irish except us and full of canadian, and english toss potts. So it was home for an early night as we had to be up early for yanzee river. - more about that next time.
Thing that should keep ya's reading for now, Your homework for next time is study the three gorges. you won't wanna miss them. (if you find out what they are let me know - i mighta missed them)

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Photos

on the train to chengdu
Look at that body!!!

Lazy Panda
They just wake up to eat

Panda Sex
Go On Lad!!! Give Her death!!

Emei Shan
BRrrrrrr

Emei Shan2
Warming the feet at 3000 ft

Sunrise
Couldn't see the sun cos of the fuckin clouds.

Donkey
Seamy turned into a donkey cos of the strain and altitude

Comments

[Joan Bradley]

lucky boys!!!!!
Well Stevie said that i can't view for free and must leave a comment!!!!!Well done, web site is great and very funny. Looking forward to next up date! Enjoy. Joan.xx.