4. HuangShan - it means 'yellow mountain'


The sharply pointed peaks of spectacular HuangShan

Day 5

Today we were to leave the ship at HuangShan at 7:30 a.m., but we didn't dock until 8:00 a.m. That delayed our "get away" time to 8:15 a.m. Not handling cable cars and heights well, Bill chose to 'sit this one out'.

We boarded our bus and left for Yellow Mountain on the ride of our lives. Our young bus driver was very skilled at dodging trucks, cars, bicycles and anything walking. This 3-1/2 hour ride was a real adventure.

Farms in China are very small compared to the U.S. Also, they conform to the landscape. If it is mountainous, as the area we are driving through, the fields must be terraced. We have seen no farm equipment, such as tractors -- only an occasional water buffalo. Farms are inefficient and production must be very low. Hopefully, this will improve.

When we reached Yellow Mountain, there were many steps to reach the cable car that took us close to the restaurant where we would have lunch. The climb took us 30 minutes or more. This cable car ride, the longest in Asia at 1,200 meters, ascended to near the top of the mountain in about ten minutes. Yellow Mountain has breathtaking views with numerous peaks, their steep slopes rising like sharp blades into the sky.

View of HuangShan as cable car nears top

The restaurant was very nice and the food was ... what else? Chinese. Adventuresome eaters will love the cuisine in China. Virginia just wishes Bill was one. 

After lunch, several people from our group proceeded to walk to the top of the mountain. Virginia's cousins decided to walk back to the cable car where our group was to meet at 3:30 PM.

One man in our group was anticipating leg-surgery on his return home. He was experiencing severe pain in his legs and arranged for a sedan chair to carry him down - about $35 US. 

Virginia and another lady began to walk back together. The time had been set for the man to go at 3:00 PM, but he decided to go a few minutes early. We had walked down only a few steps, when there was quite a commotion. One of the boys who was carrying him in the sedan chair was shouting and screaming something. We couldn't figure out the problem and just kept walking.

A terraced farm, typical of very-vertical China 

After walking about five minutes, the lady walking with Virginia needed to stop for a breather. She suggested that Virginia go on without her, but Virginia wouldn't do that. So the two of them trudged along, stopping every few feet. About half way, there was a small shop. Virginia hadn't eaten much lunch and stopped for a chocolate bar. Their return trip was taking too long and they were about ten minutes overdue getting to the cable car station. Everyone was quite worried that they had gotten lost. The tour director ran to help the other lady make the last few steps.

On the cable car, more details surfaced on the chair incident. Two separate groups of boys had been appointed to carry our lame fellow traveler down the mountain. This was not good! Ultimately, the shouting and screaming progressed to a fist-fight. Virginia told the lame one he should feel quite honored - it's not very often that two males fight over another one.

Ordinarily the ride back to the ship would have been anti-climactic. Not so this time. Chinese traffic is seldom without it's excitements. And our young driver was equal to the challenge.

Tea and hot moist towels in the ship's lobby were welcomed after this adventure. Virginia wondered what Bill had been up to today. More on that next week.

Trivia: Often one will see written 'Mt. HuangShan'. Since HuangShan translates literally to 'Yellow Mountain', the word 'Mt.' or 'Mount' is redundant, except perhaps to differentiate between the mountain and the city named for it. Much happens in the English translation of the Latin transliteration of the Chinese spoken word.

Admonishment well-suited to our Metrolink also

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