In the shadow of the moon (and what followed)
I've got over the fail since my last post. Thanks to the thoughts from everybody, it did put it a bit in perspective. I now am looking at it as getting to the top of the mountain but with a more unusual technique than many...
So yesterday I got up early to get a bus to the top of the mountain. A combination of not wanting to get out of bed (partly because of the impressive thunder and lightning that woke me up all night and made me wonder if I really wanted to go out), the bus leaving later than expected and the bus stopping at several random points on the way up meant that it was nearly 9 by the time I got to the top bus stop. So there was no chance of getting to the summit for the eclipse (and of course I had given up on dawn and that kind of thing by then).
So where I was there was thick mist - I was pretty much in the middle of the clouds - and visibility was a couple of hundred yards. There was no sign of what the sun was doing until it started getting dark. It was a little disappointing and I was kind of wishing I was up earlier to get to the top. There was a nice kind of eerie darkness in the mist with the trees all around and the mist did take on a kind of reddish hue which was cool.
I should also mention that the place was absolutely packed at this point too. I believe that Buddhist worship particularly on full and new moons and I suspect you don't get much newer than an eclipse and so that and the eclipse probably made it a huge crowd compared to normal. The path was hard to navigate at times without bumping into people.
So when the eclipse had come and gone I kept heading up to the summit anyway figuring there was still awesome stuff to see up there. The crowds meant there was an hour or so of queuing for the cable car (I didn't feel like the two hour walk to the summit after the day before) and then I got to the top. I hadn't really been prepared for what was at the top. So I was quite surprise when I caught my first glimpse of the giant golden Buddha looming over the trees and buildings.
When I first got to the top it was still relatively poor visibility (apparently it had been awful at the top too so I stopped being annoyed at not having got to the top) but as time went on it cleared up (to the extent I actually caught the sun a bit).
There were a couple of temples up there, a lot of elephants (statues that is) an some nice views. It was amazing to see the clouds moving about quite as much as they did. Very hard to catch on photos (though I tried) but very cool. There was also another temple on another peak that was visible across the cloud and looked very awesome and of which I took far too many photos.
The only particularly bad thing was that I did think I was going to pass out at one point while at the top. It was quite worrying but I immediately sat down, had some coke, took some clothes off (I had my rain jacket on still) and felt a lot better. Given this has never happened to me before though I blame it on the altitude too. I don't know much about such things though so I might be talking crap about the effect of altitude. :)
So after that I made my way back to Chengdu which was nice and easy. Today I have mostly been doing nothing except for being sociable. I found out about the Panda card which I'd heard mention of and thought it sounded lie a scam... It doesn't seem to be though. Its strange still though, you pay 1 Yuan for it (about 10p) and it gets you free entry into the panda place (normally 58 yuan) and a lot of other places. You can see why I thought it sounded like a scam...
So I got myself one of those and will be off to see the pandas tomorrow with some of the people from this hostel I met today (including two roommates which makes things easier). That should be good. You get back quite early because the pandas apparently go to sleep at about 10AM - one brochure I read described them as the laziest animals in the world. ;-)
So my plan is to hit a monastery just down the road tomorrow afternoon and maybe the Sichuan opera tomorrow night. I've heard that the music and singing is an acquired taste in Chinese opera but this is described as having shadow puppets, fire breathing, acrobatics and many other things so might be worth it.
Then day after that I think I might head to Leshan to see the world's largest seated Buddha - carved into a hillside. Hostel's talk about tours to go see them but on inquiring what they actually offer is for 600RMB they will organise a driver and vehicle to take you and your mates, working out at about 100RMB ahead if you fill the vehicle up. Being on my own this is not great but apparently the coach there is a practical alternative so I'm going to be exploring long distance exciting public transport...
So that's where I'm at right now. I'm over the slight angsty trauma of the other day (I want t say Monday but I think I mean Tuesday) and am back on a good level again. Finding people to hang out with has helped too though.
Anyway, time to consider food or drink or something... I'm not sure what at the moment because I've not had much to eat today so I think that may be what my stomach is telling me but at the same time food it not appealing... I have had some food earlier though when a few girls I'd been chatting to offered me some of theirs which was quite nice. I did decide to have the pork and lettuce for dinner having enjoyed it but I'm not sure right now... Shall maybe get a drink and see what I feel like though...
So yesterday I got up early to get a bus to the top of the mountain. A combination of not wanting to get out of bed (partly because of the impressive thunder and lightning that woke me up all night and made me wonder if I really wanted to go out), the bus leaving later than expected and the bus stopping at several random points on the way up meant that it was nearly 9 by the time I got to the top bus stop. So there was no chance of getting to the summit for the eclipse (and of course I had given up on dawn and that kind of thing by then).
So where I was there was thick mist - I was pretty much in the middle of the clouds - and visibility was a couple of hundred yards. There was no sign of what the sun was doing until it started getting dark. It was a little disappointing and I was kind of wishing I was up earlier to get to the top. There was a nice kind of eerie darkness in the mist with the trees all around and the mist did take on a kind of reddish hue which was cool.
I should also mention that the place was absolutely packed at this point too. I believe that Buddhist worship particularly on full and new moons and I suspect you don't get much newer than an eclipse and so that and the eclipse probably made it a huge crowd compared to normal. The path was hard to navigate at times without bumping into people.
So when the eclipse had come and gone I kept heading up to the summit anyway figuring there was still awesome stuff to see up there. The crowds meant there was an hour or so of queuing for the cable car (I didn't feel like the two hour walk to the summit after the day before) and then I got to the top. I hadn't really been prepared for what was at the top. So I was quite surprise when I caught my first glimpse of the giant golden Buddha looming over the trees and buildings.
When I first got to the top it was still relatively poor visibility (apparently it had been awful at the top too so I stopped being annoyed at not having got to the top) but as time went on it cleared up (to the extent I actually caught the sun a bit).
There were a couple of temples up there, a lot of elephants (statues that is) an some nice views. It was amazing to see the clouds moving about quite as much as they did. Very hard to catch on photos (though I tried) but very cool. There was also another temple on another peak that was visible across the cloud and looked very awesome and of which I took far too many photos.
The only particularly bad thing was that I did think I was going to pass out at one point while at the top. It was quite worrying but I immediately sat down, had some coke, took some clothes off (I had my rain jacket on still) and felt a lot better. Given this has never happened to me before though I blame it on the altitude too. I don't know much about such things though so I might be talking crap about the effect of altitude. :)
So after that I made my way back to Chengdu which was nice and easy. Today I have mostly been doing nothing except for being sociable. I found out about the Panda card which I'd heard mention of and thought it sounded lie a scam... It doesn't seem to be though. Its strange still though, you pay 1 Yuan for it (about 10p) and it gets you free entry into the panda place (normally 58 yuan) and a lot of other places. You can see why I thought it sounded like a scam...
So I got myself one of those and will be off to see the pandas tomorrow with some of the people from this hostel I met today (including two roommates which makes things easier). That should be good. You get back quite early because the pandas apparently go to sleep at about 10AM - one brochure I read described them as the laziest animals in the world. ;-)
So my plan is to hit a monastery just down the road tomorrow afternoon and maybe the Sichuan opera tomorrow night. I've heard that the music and singing is an acquired taste in Chinese opera but this is described as having shadow puppets, fire breathing, acrobatics and many other things so might be worth it.
Then day after that I think I might head to Leshan to see the world's largest seated Buddha - carved into a hillside. Hostel's talk about tours to go see them but on inquiring what they actually offer is for 600RMB they will organise a driver and vehicle to take you and your mates, working out at about 100RMB ahead if you fill the vehicle up. Being on my own this is not great but apparently the coach there is a practical alternative so I'm going to be exploring long distance exciting public transport...
So that's where I'm at right now. I'm over the slight angsty trauma of the other day (I want t say Monday but I think I mean Tuesday) and am back on a good level again. Finding people to hang out with has helped too though.
Anyway, time to consider food or drink or something... I'm not sure what at the moment because I've not had much to eat today so I think that may be what my stomach is telling me but at the same time food it not appealing... I have had some food earlier though when a few girls I'd been chatting to offered me some of theirs which was quite nice. I did decide to have the pork and lettuce for dinner having enjoyed it but I'm not sure right now... Shall maybe get a drink and see what I feel like though...