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Published: September 26th 2013
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A 5:00 am wakeup call and an early start to the day. We get a packed breakfast from the hotel consisting of fruit, pastries, yoghurt and say farewell to Lilly at the airport. A 1 hour flight sees us land in Jiuzhaigou-Huanglong airport. The airport is at 3,500m altitude, around 1.5 hours from Huang Long, and 1.5 hours from Jiuzhaigou, in different directions. It is cold and wearing shorts and t-shirts from hot Xian, we immediately fossick in our cases for warmer clothing. Idira meets us with the driver, and we immediately begin the drive to Huang Long to see the multi-coloured pools. Idira’s English is not good, and we find a lot of words hard to understand due to mispronunciation.
The drive involves going over a saddle in the mountains at 4,007m. Idira talked to us about getting medicine or oxygen to prevent altitude sickness. Symptoms include headaches, nausea and light headedness. Kylie and I haven’t experienced that before, but we thought we should get something, so chose medicine for the boys. They had to sip down three vials of icky tasting medicine, bought at a store at the start of the drive up to the saddle. Liam bravely
downed his, while Joseph stopped at 2, saying he would throw up if he had to have another. I actually expected Liam to be giving us a technicolour yawn very soon, as the road was very windy, and both he and I suffer from motion sickness.
We got to the saddle, Joseph complaining of a headache, but otherwise we were ok. I felt strangely light headed, but didn’t feel short of breath, so just made do. He short stop was enough for a short stroll and breath of fresh air (really fresh!), before driving down. The vegetation in the mountains is beautiful, a low scrub in lots of reds and oranges reminiscent of the Scottish highlands. Yaks quietly munch the scrub, sometimes wandering on the road as there are no fences.
We arrive at Huang Long, the town where the multi-coloured pools are, and stop for lunch at a restaurant. I don’t know the name of it, but have a photo of the front so I can translate it later. There we have a range of dishes including a chicken soup with roots, a wild spinach dish, and two pork dishes along with a large pail of rice.
Joseph tucks into the rice and Ky tries the soup along with a root (take note).
Then up to see the pools. I buy two umbrellas for ¥25 each because of a light rain that is falling, and we begin our ascent. We had an option to take the cable car up to the monastery, but chose to walk, seeing as how fit we are. It’s a 5km walk on a very well made boardwalk, with sets of stairs every 3-5 meters. The boardwalk in itself is quite impressive, 5km long with stairs would have taken a lot of money and time to build. It winds its way up between the spectacular pools of stream water. Even on the cloudy day the pools presented in different shades of green and blue, with the occasional bird and flowering plant to give a dash of colour. The best part is that no sooner have you admired and enjoyed the site of one pool, you take a few steps and there is another, and it goes like this for 5km!
Ky is a fitness machine, and powered up the boardwalk and stairs. Joseph did well also, while Liam and I were
slower. I was finding myself getting easily faint, and my legs were burning indicating I wasn’t as fit as I thought. At one point we have a rest inside one of the beautiful little gazebos with fungus roofs. Liam adopts a calming pose. We manage to make it to 2.5km and then decide we’ve had enough, and walk back down.
Next is a drive to the hotel, in Jiuzhaigou (I’m writing it as one word as that’s how its presented in the town itself, although its made of three words that mean nine villages valley). It’s a 3 hour drive, through three distinct scenic areas. First is the 1 hour climb back over the saddle through the Scottish highlands scenery. Then about half an hour along a valley with many terraces, villages, Tibetan temples and prayer flags. Along one of these straight roads, Joseph, who had been complaining of a very strong headache and had gone as pale as a ghost, finally releases his rice into a timely provided plastic bag. We stop and he fertilises the ditch, lucky to not step in yak dung, then after a little rest we carry on our way.
The next stage
of scenery is absolutely beautiful. About an hour through mountains with sheer cliffs and thick forests, reminding me of Nelson and the Marlborough Sounds (windy roads included!). The final half hour is through the Jiuzhaigou town, with a large number of resort hotels and the township spread along a narrow valley. We arrive at the Sheraton Jiuzhaigou which is very pretty white colour on the outside, and inside it is opulent with a large luxurious foyer. Ky rushes straight off to the toilet. She confesses she has an upset stomach and has been holding on for the last half hour! I think it was the strange root she ate, because everything else she ate I did also, and I was fine. Remarkably, Liam is also fine, despite spending most of the trip with his head stuck in his tablet.
Our rooms are both twin bed rooms, but they are spacious. A gym and pool in the basement are ok, although later Joseph and I find the pool is a little cool and there is no spa. Bugger. There’s also a games room but its pricey at ¥50 for a 1 hour of billiards and ¥40 for the same in
tabletennis. Dinner is included in this part of the trip, with a generous buffet including sushi, French desserts, and a real home favourite: Wedges!
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