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Letter 30
Tuesday 11.05.10
Both alarms are set at 6.00, but I`m awake long before. I`m not so good at
getting up in a rush anymore, so that suits me.
I check out - Joe is sleeping in the next room but he hears me coming and is
there in a minute. Then I prepare my own mysli. An apple, a banana, an orange
and 150 ml yogourt. Only thing missing are the seeds on top and it would have
been identical to the one I order every morning. I`ve asked if I could borrow a
bowl to eat it from and it`s been placed in the bar where I can just take it.
I leave on time 6.40 and the bus no.55 is there soon. So I`m at the busstation
at 7.10 but better be early than late.
There are signs at each gate telling the next destination and time, it seems
easy. But when it`s time for the first bus to leave for Jiuzhaigou and nothing
is yet to be seen I go to the gate and show my ticket. Yes, you can enter, it`s
the last one to the left.
So I get on board and we leave almost on time 8.05. The bus is full till the
last seat. I`m in the backseats, no.29.
All are chinese tourists except me. We`re soon at the expressway on our way to
Mianyang, the million city that was damaged a great deal at the earthquake. Big
advertisments are put along the road. After the city Deyang we get into the
green and north of Mianyang we leave the expressway heading for the mountains.
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| Different types... | ...at the resting stop |
Once both my neighbors are babbling in their mobiles at the same time, the one
to the left is talking for half an hour I think. The line is disconnected
several times but he doesn`t give up that easily. Generally you hear phones
ringing every now and then during the ride.
Just after Jiangyou we have a toilet stop and then we`re really winding up the
mountains.
We reach the town Pingwu, where we have a break for lunch. There I come to talk
to the young chinese couple in the seat in front of me. They speak quite good
english, how come? They`re both working in american companies in Beijing. She
comes from Hunan and he`s from one of the north east provinces.
We talk and talk while the bus winds its way up the mountains. In the end I say
that maybe we`d better watch the thrilling mountains in stead of talking
politics, and we do.
In numerous switch backs the road takes us up till 3355m. Then it goes on down
again through a gorge with howling waters.
In a tibetan town we make a short stop and my brother phones me. China Mobile
gets him through everywhere.
The chinese girl is not feeling well. It`s obviously all the switch backs going
downhill that wasn`t good for her.
Further down we go until we`ve dropped 2000 m. 1400 is the number in Nanping
where my two neighbors leave the bus. They were apparently buisnessmen as they
looked like. The one to the left must have been talking on his phone for half
the ride. At one time he found another one - but didn`t speak in more than one
at a time.
Now we`re heading upstreams again - slowly. In Jiuzhaigou we end at 2150 m. I
start walking the moment I`ve put on the backpack. Past all taxi drivers and
people wanting to offer you a room. Just one girl follows me. Only yi bai kuai -
100. I keep on walking. 80 then? I walk on. How much you pay? But I`ve made up
my mind to find the hostel, which had a flyer at Mix. And I talked to a guy from
New Zealand yesterday who just had come back from there.
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| The mountains are getting higher on the way | A bridge across the river in Jiuzhaigou |
So I walk the 2-3 km along the road. An old man like me - 61 years -
am I crazy? A taxi will cost me 7RMB, but I like the feeling of getting
there by my self. This time not by bicycle but by feet.
Strange that the guy didn`t tell about this blue fence along the road
that covers all. By accident I look through a gap and see the hostels
blue sign and have to make a detour to get there. The plan was dorm for
30 RMB, but after having seen a real hotelroom with private bathroom,
desk, TV and an electrical kettle, which only will cost me 55, because
of my membership - I take it. That`s just what I need.
I`m afraid the dinner will be a cold one this time. My 4 bananas won`t
make 2 days more, so I better eat 2 of them now and the last 2 for lunch
tomorrow.
I really enjoy my green tea and some biscuits. It`s a bit cold here -
and there`s no heating.
I search for CCTV9 but find a chinese football match. One team is in the
lead by 1-0. While I watch the blue team scores again it seems, 2-0.
There is at least one foreigner in the blue team, namely he that scores,
Josemoto. I wonder who`s playing but find out I can read chinese. A
little. The green team is bei - jing + two more characters. I know from
the license plates. The cars begin with "jing" and the motorbikes with "bei".