Previously, when Jiuzhaigou came to mind, I would always picture dreamlike glassy lakes and layered terraced pools. It wasn’t until I actually visited that I realized those terraced pools are actually located in Huanglong, 128 kilometers away from Jiuzhaigou. Setting off from Jiuzhaigou, the mountain roads along the way weren’t particularly treacherous, just continuously ascending and descending. The highest point exceeds an altitude of 4,200 meters. Though it’s not an official scenic spot, looking down from above, the winding mountain roads twist through the ridges. Further ahead, the endless outline of mountain peaks gradually blurs from sharp to gray-blue, then fades into the sky.
After Huanglong, our next destination was the ancient town of Songpan, a small town nestled within its surrounding walls. There’s no direct bus from Huanglong to Songpan—only as far as Chuanzhusi. Along the journey, we were still worrying about how to get from Chuanzhusi to Songpan when the bus suddenly stopped. A few people rushed on board, shouting, “Songpan? Anyone going to Songpan? Ten yuan each.” Although we knew it’s risky to hop onto private vehicles in mainland China, seeing two girls preparing to get on, we immediately followed suit.
Upon arriving in Songpan, the driver said our booked hostel should be just a bit further ahead. As soon as we got off the bus, a woman popped out and asked if I had booked the “Little Europe Youth Hostel.” Seeing my puzzled reaction, she quickly handed me her business card. Was it a bit too dramatic? From Chuanzhusi to Songpan, finding a hostel involved someone suddenly appearing to guide us. The woman said she was originally there to pick up another guest, but since we had also booked her hostel, she decided to drop us off first. My friend walked along, suspecting the woman might be some random stranger, but since she could name the booking website I used, my guard was pretty much completely down.
At dawn the next morning, we went to the bus station to catch a bus back to Chengdu. A foreign girl boarded and asked a few men, “Chengdu?” but was met with laughter. She walked dejectedly back to her seat. Seeing this, we told her that this bus was indeed headed to Chengdu. In unfamiliar and remote places, the anxiety of not knowing what lies ahead is something I deeply understand.
Four hours later, the bus suddenly stopped, and the driver told all of us to get off, saying the bus wouldn’t resume for over an hour. Soon, everyone else left the bus, leaving just the foreign girl and her male companion. We told them that nobody was allowed to stay on the bus and that they had to wait on the ground. They were from Israel—the girl had just graduated, and the guy was in his final year of university. This was their honeymoon trip. They had originally planned to go to Thailand to enjoy the sun and beach at a resort, but friends recommended they visit mainland China, so they came. Upon arrival, they realized this honeymoon trip would definitely be one they’d never forget.
During those few days in China, my credit card kept getting declined. For accommodations booked on mainland websites, I had to rely on help from a friend in China. They said you had to call directly and book over the phone, with no online option. They joked, “Everything is a challenge. Yeah！I booked the hostel！I did it！Yeah！！！” Every action felt like clearing a level. Although they complained about all the unbelievable aspects of traveling in China, they admitted that the most interesting part of travel is precisely those cultural shocks.
I said, hey, apart from the absurdities along the journey, another fun thing is getting to “shoot the breeze” with all kinds of people.
Travel period: October 2013
Related articles:
[Jiuzhaigou] A Lunch in a Tibetan Village
http://melomelo.pixnet.net/blog/post/53437494
[Jiuzhaigou] Jiuzhaigou in Early Autumn
http://melomelo.pixnet.net/blog/post/53894252
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M for Melo on the Little Things About Travel and Life
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