High in the Mountains

All this makes it easy to close our ears for the sound graffiti produced by numerous Chinese who think that silence is unnatural and must be broken by portable loudspeakers (used by the many guides who give their flock payback in decibels), loud jodiladiii singing or just load talking as if your partner is at the other side of the village. Every now and then we are pushed off the excellent pathways by a herd of tourists who have forgotten that other people may need some space.

We find some backroutes off the beaten tracks where we can meditate for hours and thus a small walk of 1,6 km turns out to take 7 hours. We observe the change of light on high cliffs crowned by little temples, let us be surprised by the sudden view of a lake deep in a gorge and admire 50 shades of green yellows and blues of flowers and the movements of birds and squirrels.

A Toaist library, 1000 years old, is glued to a cliff. A Ginko tree, 750 years of age is hugged by Julie and we ponder to take Chinese medicine made from stony mushrooms, snakes and god knows what. Luckily the very characterful Chinese doctor who oversees the process of making the soup into a powerful powder does not speak a word of english. So we are not aware for what ailments we would need the brown powder for and leave it to our learned doctor. A tea ceremony is our alternative where we experience a bitter tea that makes water sweet, a Ginseng tea supposed to be good for kidneys and a normal black tea that does not taste like tea.

The mdeciding man did not want his photo taken. But here is a porter of him 40 years younger.

After five we need the time to digest too many experiences, sort our impressions and try to understand why and how the Chinese have come to act as they do. Fascinated we decide to set the alarm for 6 in the morning and plan an expedition to the lake we saw far below us and the gorge that connects this area to the rest of the world. Presumably we will have to conquer some dizzying heights on narrow boardwalks in the gorge.

Even up here, high in the mountains: big brother is watching you!

This is the first public toilet with a leather sofa in it. Can you imagine people carrying it up the mountain? What would they say if they were asked what it is for?