Mountain Savages
CHINA | Monday, 31 December 2007 | Views [518]
The Perilous Mountains
Although stimulating and scenic, the dirt road was still treacherous and extremely slow moving due to its horrible condition. We had spent the last two days navigating the narrow, steep, dangerous mountain roads of western Hubei. Massive 300-foot tall cement pillars marking the construction of a new expressway crossing the mountains mocked us. The going was sluggish and it constantly seemed as though we were making no progress. The peaks of each range we crossed were ice covered and unsafe. We managed to purchase a set of tire chains from people who Da Hua called “The Savages.” They seemed to come out of nowhere when we least expected and lived all over the mountains in the most extreme conditions.
The afternoon was closing fast and we all hoped to be in the next city soon. A stop for dinner in a small mountain village led us to a friendly family restaurant and a traditional Sichuan “hot pot” meal. As we warmed ourselves around the fire in their home the old man sitting next to me informed us that, although as the crow flies the next city was not too far, it would still be another two days on the mountain road. And if that wasn’t bad enough, it was snowing up there too!
A few deep breaths by everyone and we were back in the car. My journal reads, “Night is starting to take hold of the mountain and we are back in the car rumbling up towards the next peak. We are all silent with full bellies. With one corner of my forehead pressed against the cold backseat window I gaze over the countryside of green and brown fields separated by patches of mud huts. I am so happy to be here!”
After night fell, the road became suddenly icy and our car began to slide. We stopped to put on our chains. This time we were prepared! I was standing behind the car when it started to move. I thought Daniel – in the driver’s seat – was messing with me. It was no joke; our car was actually sliding backwards down the mountain. Four of us were behind the car in an instant trying to stop it. Despite our efforts we continued sliding. Our situation was getting grimmer by the second. When the savages showed up our car was slowly making its way down the steep road and the four of us were all being pushed along with it. They stepped in quickly and in no time we had our chains fastened and were making progress. With chains on our back tires and new confidence we took off. After a few slow miles the comforting grind of tire chains disappeared and the car began to slide. “Shit!”
The chain on the right side was gone and the left one barely hanging on. Luckily it was keeping us from repeating the sliding incident from before.
It was dark and quiet. We were the only ones on the road and the savages were nowhere to be seen. At this point I began to think dark thoughts. We are going to freeze to death on this stupid mountain.
In times like these it’s hard to find something that makes you laugh but we all managed to smile when Da Hua busted out his forehead flashlight. He looked like a spelunker and blinded anyone he spoke to. I remember imagining Da Hua standing over his suitcase, packing for the trip and thinking about what essential items would be needed in the cramped space of the car. Obviously the miner’s headlamp won out over other less important items. My brother Joey and Da Hua headed back down the mountain to find the savages and/or our lost tire chain as Daniel and I waited in the cold darkness. Sure enough, the savages were out patrolling the mountain. We had new chains affixed and bumped our way through the night. We arrived in the next city just in time for five in the morning.
Positive hopes for the next day focused on the wishful ease of the next large mountain range. We were headed through southwestern Sichuan on our way to northern Yunnan and Shangri-La.
We began to climb a massive mountain and I can honestly say that I was intimidated. There was a hefty amount of snow visible near the top and visions of chains and savages were creeping into my head. We climbed and climbed. The roads were steeper than ever. It was getting colder and colder. No guardrails and steep drop offs made me nervous. The views were amazing but I thought about how a grizzly bear is an amazing animal right before it rips you to shreds. The signs of civilization diminished and soon we were the only ones on the road. Human life was nowhere to be seen. The farmers who terraced their fields on unbelievably steep cliffs didn’t dare set up shop here. The terrain was far too rugged. Night was drawing close and it seemed as though we would be driving through. Snowcaps were looming above us and I had a terrible feeling.
Topping the next mountain ridge revealed an oasis. Immense fields of still-green crops covered the expanse of a massive mountain plateau. The fields seemed neon green with fresh young cabbage. It was much colder yet the soil here was black and rich. The terraced land was breathtaking. Clusters of ancient brick houses covered with disheveled, sliding clay roofs were set among the greenest fields I had ever seen. We had truly entered a different world and the barren cliff of the steep mountain behind us was the gateway. It was unbelievable.
Goggling over the beauty of the heavenly scene at nearly 2,000 meters elevation we rounded a bend and a colossal lake flooded our vision. It was filling a bowl created by two higher, snowcapped ranges on either side. Sitting in the car, enjoying the views from behind our mud-stained windows was becoming torturous. It was time to stop for pictures.
Guests Of Honor
We decided that the village surrounding the lake would be a great place to stay for the night. After finding a place we took a stroll around town. The first woman we met invited us right in to warm ourselves around her stove. She apologized profusely for being so poor and not having a nice enough home. She served us fried rice noodles as we cupped our hands over her stove. Although an open-air mud hut with dirt floors, her home gave me a warm feeling. It must have been the woman’s kindness that I’m sure was felt by all of us. After a bit we thanked her and continued our walk. Encounters like these always force to stop and really think.
Our next encounter was not long off. Another, older woman stopped and led us to her home. As we meandered up a rocky muddy path I noticed it was getting rather dark. Lights appeared up ahead. We emerged at what looked like a dance party. All the lights in the village must have been gathered for the celebration. We noticed a large, circular, multicolored decoration looking much like a big lollipop, marking the event as a funeral. All attention was, of course, drawn immediately to us. We were likely the first foreigners many of these people had ever seen. I had a disgusting glass of home made baijiu (Chinese liquor) in my hand before I could realize where I was. The stumbling drunk man who gave it to me spilled half down my leg.
The crowd gathered quickly and the music seemed to get louder as the people pressed in against us on all sides. Baijiu was splashing everywhere and the drunken man was viciously yanking on my jacket demanding I take a seat. Hands were coming out of nowhere, touching and grabbing at me. It was at this point I began getting a bit nervous. Claustrophobia took hold and I slipped into “defense mode.” I was surrounded by a mob of groping foreign faces and there was no visible escape route. My camera was dangling from my neck and being uncomfortably fondled by “baijiu-breath man.” I continuously checked my wallet and backpack for possible pickpockets. This was not a good situation.
Then something great happened. Daniel, who was a few arms reach away and also being force-fed repulsive baijiu began vomiting. This cleared a small space around him that I gladly filled. A little splash of vomit never killed anyone. I had been wearing the same filthy jeans for the past two weeks anyway. Da Hua showed up behind me, and Joey was close behind. After a few more heaves by Daniel I heard a Chinese voice nearby telling us to come quickly. It was the woman who had led us there. We darted into her home and escaped out her front door. Shortly after, the funeral mob appeared on the muddy path behind us and the chase was on. They were actually running after us. Splashing through the mud we managed to make it back to the hotel and the hotel owner drove off the horde. Phewww!
We had an enormous meal waiting for us and we sat to eat. At this point Da Hua was feeling rather drunk. The baijiu was getting to him a bit more than usual that night. Within twenty minutes he was barely functional. He kept mumbling half phrases including “savages” and “wow, that shit was strong,” all the while begging us not to laugh, which was impossible at that point. One funny thing about drunken people is that they always manage to find comfort in the seemingly most uncomfortable positions. Tonight Da Hua was certainly not waiting for his bed to close his eyes. His head didn’t quite make it to the dinner table but rather balanced itself on a set of chopsticks. One end pressed against the table and the other jammed into his forehead. His head was perched there like a watermelon on a pencil. We laughed hysterically until deciding it was time to take him to bed. Finishing the dinner, we drank into the night, praised the beauty of our setting, and embraced the feeling of comradeship felt by all. My journal here reads, “What a great adventure this is. I wonder what will happen tomorrow.”
Did Someone Say “Chains”?
Back in the car the snowcaps above still loomed. As we climbed the temperature dropped. Sure enough the road turned to ice and there were the savages patiently waiting, chains in hand. We were grinding away yet again over a mountain entirely covered in white. Every tree drooped under the weight of the heavy ice. Even with our chains we slid a little around this turn, a little around the next, and right off the road at the next. Third time’s a charm I guess. We had gone off into a ditch and there was no easy way out. We scoured the slippery road in search of rocks to create a ramp for the car to reverse out. Peering out over the opposite edge of the road across the frozen landscape, my breath curling up in a white cloud in front of my face, I thanked goodness we had gone off on the side we did. With no guardrail a slip in the wrong direction would have sent us to our deaths. I was suddenly happy to be freezing my ass off, scouring the frozen road for rocks. Thirty minutes later our ramp was built. It was, to my surprise, a success and we were on our way once again, looking out for our next big challenge. These mountains certainly kept us on our toes.
A careful, lurking drive brought us to a small village by nightfall. We enjoyed a lovely hot-pot meal of lamb, cabbage, and potatoes at a frigid family restaurant before settling in for a heatless, sleepless, night in a nearby hotel.
On the rumbling road again, heads wobbling at a blistering ten miles an hour, our spirits were not so high. Our clothes were filthy from rock gathering yesterday and we were all sleep-deprived. The hotel owner from the night before informed us of one more peak to cross before reaching civilization and expressways that would take us south. These mountains had one way in and one way out. We were truly captives of that horrible road. If all we had to deal with was collapsed, narrow roads, goatherds, falling rocks, and over-friendly savages I would have been more than delighted. Icy roads and tire chains were my worst fear and at this point I knew they would haunt my dreams from some time to come.
The mountain was chain free and boasted the best roads we had seen. There was, of course, an abundance of excellent scenery. Sheer cliffs, waterfalls, secluded villages with outlying, terraced farmland, and a sunny blue sky surrounded us. Evergreens covered most of the mountain and filled the air with a heavy smell of pine. This last stretch marked the end of our trek through the mountains. I could not have been happier to see the expressway and our passage south. Thinking back, I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Isn’t that the way it goes? Isn’t that the joy of being a traveler?
Tags: Mountains
