Guanyinshan expedition

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14/4/07

After aged of foggy weather, finally I saw sunshine this morning. And today is the date to begin my trip to hike the Guanyin mountain, seem like someone up there gave me an ok sign! Went to Huangmaoleng as it was market day, and Tang, my Yao friend would came down and lead me up to DaShan. HML market wasn't big, but you could see all the 6 hilltrbes in Yuanyang here, as for DaShan area, 6 minorities live inside this mountain area, especially when up to DaShan where, the Yao, Miao and Hani built their village next to each other, seldom seen something like that. Sun was hot here in HML as the altitude only 650m, I followed the foot step of Tang, only the 1st hour I could catch up, then fell behind further, only could locked my eye on his brown plastic sandals from a distant while sucking hard for oxygen! He left his goods for the horse troop and carried only a big blue and white plastic bucket which he said would be good for shading sun, of course...he couldn't risk to break it with the horse on the rough road, so he carried it himself. Yes...a dirt track had been dug out long ago from DaShan to HML, but it was so muddy after rain and rather danger, beside...who could afford to owned a car here! So horse troop are still popular for transporting goods, like the Miao village up there, each family at least had one horse, and they took care of this business in the area. We walked fast, over took couple of Zhuang women there, passed a group of Miao, tracing some Hani further on, in an hour we were near GeTa a Zhuang village, another 1.5 hours we got Mujizhai a Yi village, finally we arrived in Yaozhai in less than 4 hours. Tang's wife wasn't well with a low blood pressure, and his daughter had moving out somewhere in GeJiu, so they could offered me a room this time. Tang said we will hike the mountain when the weather is right, but for me...the weather look fine, anyway...he knew better and I am in no hurry. Whenever he send the ok sign and we will go.

15/4/07

"we are so happy to see you again"! With this Tang began to poured me rice wine during dinner last night. And it wasn't easy to refused but kept drinking. Beside...it was more than 2 years since last time, so...drink! And got myself a headache this morning. No sign about going to attempted the mountain today, Tang was busy to help out in a funerals of another villager, 8 o'clock this morning the coffin was carried up hill surrounding by thundering fire crackers noise, the bearer making strange mourning sounding along the trip. It was the 3rd days and the family of the dead gave a big meal afterward, all friends and relative help prepared offering goods, such as paper banners, bamboo house, straws man to burn to the dead, after all...another excused to get drunk!

16/4/07

Weather was fine but the guy who know the way up the mountain wasn't free today, so... Still gonna wait. I took the time explored the area, took in the slow pace village life here. Pea and corn had already planted, people were busy in preparing for rice seeding, time for buffalo to work, ploughing on all level of the terrace fields could be seen, childern play the only toy they had created...rolling a wasted CD with a stick, and at the moment most terrace were draining water, so they could joined the adult for fish hunting. Women helped in all sort of work during the day, also making cross-stitch pattern collar, which is the only embroidered part on their costume, and they always renew it when one got too worn-out and dirty. I hiked up to a Miao village Malutang, on a altitude 2200m, looked back from above, Dashan area actually is very beautiful, setting underneath the Guanyin mountain, surrounded by lovely landscapes with terrace fields, in between there were wild rocks in all shape shot up from the earth, dotting the area with a strange beauty. I sat on a rock overlooking the valley, absorbing the gentle scene lay below. Look up I see the great Guanyin mountain just right in front of me, that's the last place I want to explore in Yuanyang, and soon....!

17/4/07

Another beautiful day, we set off up the mountain by 7 am, Tang and his friend who work in the forestry, carried only their hatchet then we mounted the road, a very steep uphill climbing on a buffalo track, the slope was more than 30 degree, in an hour we were up to 2600m, and the view was magnificent, the villages became tiny, all the trails and paths were clearly shown, Panzhihua could be seen 2 layers of mountain beyond. All along the way they told me how danger was the plant, "ate 2 pieces of their leaves and you died!" Tang told me, "and this also, but it is a good herbal medicine for broken bone" his friend chimed in. They picked up wild vegetables and herb as we proceed, said this good to eat, that's good medicine so and so. My favourite was the Guanyin leaf which I had tried 5 years ago, it only grew on the altitude over 2600m, got a very good favour when brew in hot water, a mild sticky rice fragrant, first you dried the leave under the sun, and baked with fire before serve with water. A delightful tea drink! The highest we could climb was 2670m, not the highest point of the Guanyin mountain, "it is further down to GaNiang area, another 4 hours walk" his friend said. And once we up here, we need to cut through thick forest, not a trail in sight, so we cut and knocked down whatever in front of our trail, which made me felt guity about coming here, I didn't think I wanted to climb that far to the top...if we need to cut down more plantation! 2670m...already my new height in Yuanyang! There was a small valley up here and full of bamboo plantation, Tang said if the government would help build a dam here, then there would be no problem for their crops downhill, as the dam could provide enough water to the area. he wanted me to take some photos of the site, so they could try to convince the local authority about this matter. The Guanyin Shan is the main water source of Yuanyang, and I saw the the beginning of the blood line here, a kind of small wetland, its dripping down through the earth and came out don't-know-where hundred miles away. We encountered 3 snakes on our way, Tang said there was many monkey and other animals, "there even has bear!" he claimed. Cutting through a forest of bamboo we find our way downhill from another side of the mountain, another steep slope down, my knee began to complained as its gotto supported all my weight for the long downhill walked. My legs was vibrating like a shaker when we got home. It was a nice walk although I couldn't get to the top, the view looking back from above was great. I didn't enjoyed the jungle walked though, as we gave more damaged than what we could get, unless we were going for scientific research, otherwise...there wasn't much going up there, as you wouldn't had much time to enjoy the scene, all the time you tried to get passed that branches, go under the tree trunk, watch out your step..no... not really what you want for sight seeing! I will not encourage people go all the way up there, but to certain height was enough for the great view.

18/4/07

It was thundered and rain real strong last night, the wind destroyed a lot of tree. I was lucky to done the hiking trip yesterday, but this morning was sunny as usual, still I decided to go back to Yuanyang, just in case it started to rain again, and it would-be difficult to leave the mountain. Tang was preparing to fed their pigs when I woke up this morning, as it was one of his everyday schedule, "3 times a day", he told me, people used the duck-weed from the rice field, mixed it with corn and wheat flour, "some salt , some vitamins... this is alcohol" he showed me one after one and this fermented paste which smell like alcohol while mixing everything together in the new blue and white bucket which he brought back last Saturday from the market, "sometimes you need to make them drunk" he laughed to himself while telling me why, of course...it help their appetite to eat more and get fatter faster. After I told him I wanted to go back to YY , Tang insisted I ate before I was allowed to leave and started to cook right away, and it was only 9 am! Couldn't say no, could I?!? Tomorrow will be the 3rd March ceremony for the Yao, also a festival for many other minority in China, the most famous should be the one for the Bai in Dali, here it was actually the Qingming same like the Han, The Yao people would pay respected to their ancestor on that day, with special made sticky rice dyed with 3 colours, which every women was busy in preparing today with different kind of leaves. If there would be more activities like singing and dance I wouldn't mind to stay for another day, but with my body crying for mercy after 5 days with no bath, I felt very uncomfortable. Said goodbye to Tang and his wife and gave their life back to normal after my early lunch. Although the path was muddy, but the scene was clear and beautiful, again...I was lost after MuJiZhai, only if I willing to followed the main road but I choose to went with small path which cut down a lot of walking distant, and seem like I was go straight down the valley with no clear destination. Luckily people are everywhere as the plantation was on in this altitude, a Hani man confirmed me that I could walk down there and get to HML, " our village is HuangXinZhai"he pointed to the village on the other side of the cliff, "I go to HML market from this path" following his finger traced the path while he explained to me, right...I would go this way and thank god I didn't had to walk up back to catched the main road. Soon I crossed a bulkhead and a huge piece of paddy field exposed in the hidden valley, you would never know it if you didn't came this far, I walked along the ridge of the terrace and attracted by those artistic lines which created by these farming hands, people were busy in plantation, they were welcoming and friendly, eagerly to showed me the direction, smiling when I took their pictures, laughing on my unbalancing movement on the terraces, they even invited me to join their lunch break, "come to drink" a man shouted to me, no...not drinking in this hour, I thank him and pressed on. It was a beautiful walk although some part was a bit danger after the rain. Finally I caught the highway after 4 hours, although I couldn't made to the top of the Guanyin mountain in this trip, but I got a pack of Guanyin leaves inside my backpack, which is the best souvenir for me, I could wait to brew it once back to Yuanyang!

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Photos

Tang with his new bucket
his wife on the background