I took a "2 hour" bus ride from Chengdu to Emai (I say 2 hours because that is what everyone insisted it would be, but it ended up being 3 1/2 hours---I think Chinese time is worse then Greek time).
On the bus I had a Chinese boy ask if he could set by me and we ended up talking the whole trip. I am pretty sure that he wanted to practice his English and I was just happy to have someone to talk to. I learned that he was in the university in Chengdu and he was learning English to eventually head to Australia to study. The reason he was on the bus is that he was headed home to Emai to see his parents (who own one of the largest hotdog factories in China!!--which I got to see).
After we got off the bus he said that he wanted to show me around Emai and so he took me to all these restaurants to try "authentic local food" and to my mortification he paid for everything. I then needed to catch a bus to the mountain (where the hostel was located) and he said that he thought it would be better if his friend drove me. So he and his friend called the hostel and got the directions and then drove me to the hostel. Oh...I also mentioned that I needed to buy toilet paper (because in China it is always best to bring your own) and he jumped out of the car, ran into a store, and bought me some. I am not sure why I feel obligated to tell you this--but I think I was just so overwhelmed with how kind he was to me. It is moments like these that make backpacking such a great experience and remind you how great people can be.
I have finished my trek of Mt Emei and must admit that I am relieved it is over. I believe if Led Zeppelin had hiked this mountain prior to writing that most famous song there would have been a much different title. Not only was there two days of 11 hours of StairMaster there were also scary, wild monkeys that would bite their way into your belongs looking for food, money, and quite possibly your passport. Although my legs today feel like they are broken I will admit that the views were nice and the atmosphere was pleasant. Would I put this on my to do list again...no way!!!
The one item that I did find outstanding was a tree that I saw at the very end of the hike. Posted to the tree was a sign that said this tree was planted in 980 during the Song Dynasty to help mark the path to the monastery. I had noticed throughout the park that various trees had a label with the trees age. I had really just assumed that they had made estimations of the tree age, but after reading this sign I now realized that the paths have been used for more than a 1000 years. It is rather remarkable to think about having documentation from that long ago. I now head to ChongQing to maybe venture on to the Yantzi. If the trip includes a cruise ship I might possibly pass and just head on to Beijing.
I will be home in a little over two weeks and I am getting very excited. I apologize for the lack of visuals, but I still can't find a computer that will work with my camera.
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3 comments:
I hope you got a picture of those crazy monkeys! MF can use them to to decorate her baby's room!
I actually did not take a picture because anytime you paused or opened your bag they would come in flocks...it was really scary!!!! I also had to have my hands available to hold a stick in one hand and a rock in the other (this is what the locals suggest). You don't use them, but the sight of them is supposed to scary those monkeys away.
Oh...I also saw a girl that had bite marks on her leg....I told her that I was for sure she had rabbis (I am pretty sure the SP is wrong, but you know what I mean)
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