There are many hikes that one can take out of Dehang, and we have decided to do the one through the Yuguanxi Scenic Area. Here's what the Lonely Planet guidebook says about it: "Cross the bridge over the river to visit the 2.6 km Yuguanxi Scenic Area where you follow a path along a valley by the Yuquan Stream, past haystacks . . . and gorgeous belts of layered terraced fields. Walk along the valley for a good 1.5 km before the path ducks into a small gorge whereyou will cross the river at several points . . . . Cross the Jade Fountain Gate and follow the path to the water fall which spills down in a single thread of water. If you have the energy, climb the steps up to the Tianwen Platform where fabulous views span out through the gorge above the waterfall and a few simple Miao homesteads find a perch. Note how a whole new series of terraced slopes commence at this altitude."
OK, that's a pretty good description except that during the 1.5 km "walk along the valley" you are frequently climbing steps while gazing up at the jagged peaks of the karst mountains and at the farmland below. And the waterfall on the day we see it is a lot more than a "single thread of water." It's quite spectacular. And the last 1.1 km of the "walk" consists of virtually unbroken flights of steps until you literally are on top of one of the karst mountains, higher than the top of the waterfall, with a small Miao hamlet above you on another rise. It's amazing. And I can't believe I've actually done it!
Notes on walk: The mist on the mountains makes for bad photos but great atmosphere. The terraced farmland and the mountains are an amazing amalgam of pristine nature and the work of man. In fact, it's man working in harmony with nature. Babbling brook and countless small waterfalls. Wildflowers similar to those in New England. Colorful dragonflies, one bright turquoise. Beautiful black butterfly. Craggy peaks with delicate bushes growing out of them.
And then you come down the same way you went up - down thousands and thousands of steps! The entire hike (up and down) takes us about four hours. A little more than 5 km in total, a lot of it straight up! I'm very proud of myself. And very, very tired when we get back to Dehang.
We find a great place for lunch, with tables on the second floor looking out over the main square. The rest of the group is going to tackle a second, shorter and easier hike, but I'm done for the day. I wander around the village more, taking pictures of buildings and people, but finally go back to the hotel, where we have left our gear. I have time to take a quick shower and change my clothes, then get out my book and sit on a chair overlooking the courtyard, waiting for the merry hikers to return.
Notes on Dehang: This is an authentic Miao village, and it seems a lot of people make their livelihood here by harvesting, drying and bagging wheat grain (at least that's what we think it is). Virtually every available space in the village is taken up with large mats (or sometimes sheets of cotton or plastic) spread with the grain. While I'm sitting at the hotel, I watch a family in the process of gathering up the grain and bagging it. The mother, father and son pick up the edges of the cloth and shake all the grain into a pile in the middle. Then the father scoops up the grain into a basket and pours it into a bag held by the mother. When the bag is full, the son returns to carry the heavy bag off to the side. I've seen men in the town, transporting two of these bags, one suspended at either end of a wooden pole that he carries on his shoulders. You can see the hardened muscles straining in their legs.
We catch a 4 p.m. bus from Dehang back to the Jishou train station, arriving at about 5 p.m. Our train doesn't leave until almost 7 p.m., so we walk around looking for food. We find a glorious street market not far from the train station, where I get two dumplings, a banana, some roasted chestnuts and a mooncake (the traditional treat of Mid-Autumn Festival).
We sit on benches outside the train station, and I eat my dumplings and part of the pineapple mooncake. It's very heavy so I share it around with others. I've tasted it and that's all I wanted.
On the train, we have "hard sleeper" seats, which turn out to be quite comfortable. Each berth comes with its own pillow and quilt (with clean covers on both). There are six berths in each "compartment," two top, two middle, and two bottom. I have a bottom bunk which is nice. No climbing up! The reason I put "compartment" in quotes is that the spaces are not enclosed. Although our train is fairly empty, there is a corridor running alongside the compartments with folding seats for additional passengers. And I assume "standing" passengers could be funneled into the space as well. In fact, we've heard that one of the problems with having a bottom berth is that sometimes the "standing" passengers will try to sit there. Not a problem tonight, however.
Note: We have now tried everything but the "soft sleeper" on the train: standing, hard seats, soft seats, hard sleeper. From what I understand, the soft sleepers are in an actual closed compartment and only have four berths in each, not six.
I have a bottle of Nutri-Express (a pineapple-flavored yogurt drink), look at the full moon out of the train window, then settle down for the "night." At about 2:45 a.m., we are awakened by the train attendant, I eat my banana, and we're back in Zhuzhou at 3 a.m. Taxi to school, shower again, and go back to bed.
1 comment:
Mist most emphatically does not make for bad photographs! First, misty conditions create a soft, even illumination that is flattering for faces and skin tones. Colors become highly saturated (this can be seen in many of the images posted on Picasa). And the mist itself is a character in the photograph; it's no accident that ancient Chinese landscape painters in this same region used mist to give a feeling of depth and mystery to their work. Celebrate mist, fog, and rain when they come; they're the photographer's friends!
Post a Comment