Travel with Challenge: The Hidden Village
In late September of 2010, my parents have been invited to a wedding dinner from their client in Shanghai, China for 4 days 3 night. Since that time I am just complete of my diploma program so my dad decide to bring me go along with them. Finally, we reached Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
Since I was in a wonderful and scenic part of China, so I decided to take some time after the wedding dinner to have some exploring. Due to parents have to rush back to Malaysia after the wedding dinner, which mean the following trip is just left me and my shadow. This is the first time I travel alone and the feeling was so excited and challenging.
The calender started to countdown for my vacation days, and parents will be fly back to Malaysia soon. I went to Shanghai Railway Station and take bullet train to the city of panda, Chengdu. It take 15 hour to reach Chengdu. When I had first left Shanghai, I dont even know what to expect from this trip. Before the holiday chip in, I hardly had enough time to make a proper preparations for the trip this is because all of this are out of my planning.
When in the train, I have made friend with a couple who are come from Australia, Alex & Jammy. During the conversation, I found out that both of them are work as an engineering in Australia. But they are sick of their job so they decide to go backpacking. Both of them have been here for 5 months, and Chengdu is the 4th station that they visit in China.
"So, you are alone?", Alex said.
"Oh ya, my parents just back to Malaysia. Since I have the chance to stand in this wonderful land of course I won't miss out the chance to explore more and more, right?", I said.
"Don't worry, you are not alone! If you don't mind, you can joining us!", Jammy said with her sincere heart.
The happiness are from bottom of my heart. I never expected that there is someone who willing to be my partner on this trip. When all is said and done, I can be their translator along all the way. During this five months in China, Alex and Jammy have the trouble on communication because English is not a native language at here.
It was a great experience to explore in Chengdu for around 3 days. On the other hand, we have meet with a group of backpackers who stayed in the same hostel with us.
The first impression while I enter to the hostel, there is a group of people with different skin color sitting in the living room and concentrate on the maps. Surprisingly, there is no a sense of strangeness among all of us; the passionate of them are surrounding of me.
While i am chatting with LiangLiang, a guy from Beijing, suddenly a girl’s voice sounded behind of me: “Excuse me, are you going to Shangri-la as well ?”Her smiling as sweet as a honey.
After a short conversation with her, we are getting closer with each other. We are tune with everyone so is made us quickly formed with other who are from different corners of the country: LiangLiang from Beijing, Adam from London, two guys from Vietnam, and Rebecca, the girl with a sweet smiling , Alex and Jammy, then there was me. I'm the youngest among all os them.
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| Guy from Beijing, LiangLiang |
LiangLiang volunteer himself as a free tour guide to bring us explore to a hidden village which under the mountain of Meili. According to him, there is no transport provided if we want to enter to the village. Besides that, we have to trekking for 4 hours to reach the destination.
At first, I presumed that this was the most toughest task for me among all the way of the journey. It is an unexpected experience for me, this is because I never had any experience of trekking before.
I really did not know what the expectation for this village, but I hoped to get to know more about living style of the rural Tibetans, capture some beautiful picture from a unspoiled village, and enjoy the peace and quiet out of the busy city.
The journey starting point in Kunming. Although there is a lot of challengers all the way but the experiences are worth for it. While on the bus ride to Shangri-la in the highlands, all the way have a lot of Tibetans walking besides of the roadside.
Suddenly, we spot a scene that full of sincerity. A young men are faithfully prostrating in every two steps. He have a rosy check, and wear a thick headbands in his forehead. This is to protect them when they are prostrating and press their head on the gravelly road.
"He is on his way to Lhasa, if everything going smooth, it will take him approximately 18 months for that, " Bus driver said.
After lunch, we ready for the Nazongla Mountain Pass.
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| The entry for Mountain Meili |
"So, everybody start from now on, we have to on foot to our destination," Liang said with his broken english.
"NO PROBLEM!" everyone answer with an enthusiasm.
Everything seemed easy; everyone of us with a backpack, fully fighting spirit while hiking, Adam busily on capture down the beautiful scene along the way. However, the two guys from Vietnam are keep grizzling about the cold and the sludgy mountain road .
Along all the way, there is few of the donkey with a basket of vegetable or fruit passed by us.
Besides that, there is an old lady with white-haired, holding a basket and strapped on her back; she was carrying some vegetable and decide selling it to the market.
Finally Liang Liang and me lend out our hand to the lady, and request to help. Additionally, i am taken out of some RMB from my pocket and want to do a money donation for her. She looked at me, and declined with a smiled.
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| The main transport for the villagers |
Horse or donkey is the best transport for the villagers to deliver their stuff to the town. Besides of walking, tourist can choose to ride horse but the price are slightly expensive. It is cost around RMB200.
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| Mud Mountain Road |
According to Liang, it will be very dangerous if we trekking along a mud mountain road after the rain. I am getting a slightly out of breath when we reach 4,000 meter altitude. Slowly, everyone look so tired and keep walking without any laughter. Besides of scattered footsteps, there is only some of the heavy breathing sound surrounding us.
We walked away, deep moving. Within half an hour, the mud mountain road started to take on a nearly 50 degree gradient. I wheeze the air and look up to the endless road, and wonder how the villagers can walk for 4 hours from here to the town.
At that moment, I am regret to bring along my laptop and I wished I could throw away millstone on my back with no doubt, even the bottle. Besides that, I am keep hypnotize myself the village was just not far away from us if I keep moving and don't give up. Trekking is just a easy task for me, if I can complete it so in my future there is nothing that I can't overcome it.
Adam grizzle with the tired tune, "I hope I can just close my eyes, and let myself rolling down from the mountain." This is because he is carrying with a bag at least 25kg at his back.
I was astonish with Rebecca's strength. How could a tiny girl can carrying a bag bigger then her? She slowly walk with a steadiness footsteps with her Ipod. Her passionate was influence everyone of us.
LALALA~ everyone restart the engine, sang a happy smurffy song and continue for the journey.
Our group are take a rest on the half way of the journey. The road are full with the colorful Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags. The prayer flags are said to bring good luck to the prayer (Prayerflags.com).
After a short distance, we spot a signboard which hanging on the tree are showing us a toilet logo which mean that we were close to Nazongla Pass.
Suddenly, Jammy & LiangLiang cheer louder and ask us move forward.
"Hurry Up, is amazing."
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| The picture that I take from the Nazongla Pass |
I am totally dumb when I saw a beautiful scene in front of me without warning. Yes, the effort of hiking for 5 hour and get the beautiful scene as a reward is really worth for it. The clouds and mist are surrounding with the mountain peak, the scenery as like you are located in Switzland 's snow mountain. Indistinctly, I can spot a small village besides of the mountain.
The village is exactly same with the smurf village which hidden in a dense forest and a high mountain range.
"Thank you, Rebecca." I said to Rebecca.
"For what " said with Rebecca and showing me her curious face.
"You gave me the strength to continue for the journey, I can feel your passionate and spirit."
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| The smurf village was under the Meili Moutain |
After 5 hours of hard trekking, We eventually arrived in the village. I can't imagine that I can walked into a village which look alike with a painting.
By 6pm, we had settled ourselves into a traditional Tibetan house for homestay. We are served with some warm butter tea, the tea can let us become energetic and let our body from cold to warm. And the Tibetan porridge as well. Although it was a simple meal, yet a great experience to taste the food from different culture and it is really satisfy our empty stomach.
On that night, eight of us slept in a same room. Everyone fell into a deep within 10 minit once lying down to the bed witha sweet dream.
The next day, we go for the breakfast in the early morning with some soy milk and freshly made bread. However, Jammy started to experience the highland altitude sickness.
We continued our journey towards to the Sacred Waterfall. The distance from our hostel to waterfall is around a 2 hour trip. The owner of the hostel , Aji, is going along with us. He is concern about our safety issue because we will easily get lost if we are not familiar with this places. Aji was sharing the historical of this village and some mystery story with us along all the way to the waterfall.
We passing through the forest, and our belongings was get wet because of the dewy morning air. Finally we are reaching to the Sacred Waterfall.
According to Art Profressional Sunairi (2006), stated in his blog and mention that Sacred Waterfall, it is said to have been blessed by countless Buddhas. A pilgrimage to this site would not only cure a mute or someone with a speech impediment, and then they will be safe for the rest of their lives. The waterfall also has the power to foretell a pilgrim's fortune. If a pious but unfortunate person goes near the waterfall to pray, the waterfall will stop flowing, or the flow will turn into trickles. But when a fortunate pilgrim goes near it, he or she will get drenched all over. So, whenever a pilgrim approaches the waterfall, he or she must first offer incense, so the gods will respond with an auspicious downpour all over one's body.
"Hey, can you telling me more story about this smurf village?" my cousin bro, Daniel said.
"Is not smurf village, the village is called Yubeng village." I said.
(1940 words)
References
l Tibetan Prayer Flags 2002, Role of Prayer Flags, viewed 1st June 2012, <http://www.prayerflags.com/ >.
l Sunairi, H 2006, ex-tibet (on the way to Yubeng Shenpu - Sacred Waterfalls, 3650M, Yunnan Province, China), blog posting 3 April, viewed 3th June 2012, <http://sunairi.blogspot.com/2008/03/ex-tibet-on-way-to-yubeng-shenpu-sacred.html >.
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