The place Lijiang has been ringing in our ears for a while. We heard it is remote, beautiful and unforgettable. But how does one get there? A getaway for a few days is good if a short rest is the agenda.
Google says you can fly direct with Lucky Air.
But what is Lucky Air? In March we heard the 737 Max crash. Is the airline part of the group? This is what happens when you are ignorant. After much assurance from gathered information, we decided to go ahead.
Lucky Air reminds me of Air Asia, our homegrown group. Pleasantly surprised by the smooth ride except when landing at the foothills of a hilly surrounding. Lijiang is surrounded by mountains like the 'Snow Jade Mountain'; the landscape is rangy and the areas around it are elevated. So landing was also rough.
At an elevation, you can expect it to be chilly and darkness appears earlier in the evenings. Though the flight time is relatively short, you reach Lijiang in the evening ready for dinner and rest.
I think in typical hotels, the rooms are accompanied by court yards. But alas, we had no chance to enjoy the ambiance as we were tired, needed a bath and sleep. But it is clean and so stayable.
Larger still is the bed. You may have heard of king-sized beds but I think this is gorilla-sized.
The room too is a pleasant surprise.
The guide said sleep tight as the next day is a long one to be filled with new experiences and a lot of walking and altitudes to achieve. She pumped us with stories of breathlessness and coaxed us to buy mini oxygen tanks to aid breathing difficulties. She caught my head reeling with uncertainties and fears. Can a healthy , ordinary person be affected so easily? It was for us to find out.
Whatever information and warnings we had before the trip were taken quite lightly. How cold can Lijiang be in late spring? When we googled for weather conditions we were told that weather was mild and cool ; not freezing cold. We failed to visit the weather of Snow Jade Mountain and so we landed in hot soup. Look at those snow-capped peaks in the background. They are for real; it is snow alright. We were ill-prepared for the cold. When my girls learnt of the situation they went berserk. How can the two of us be so casual about everything and anything? But...it was what it was.
"Mum, you are so ignorant ! The clothes on you is a poor shield from the cold!" Esther shrieked.
We thank God for the cable ride. It gave us a panoramic ride up the mountain and we were struck by the awesome landscape. As we move higher the guide kept warning us that the cold would catch us and we may turn blue. "Put on your oxygen tank!" We did not purchase any chiefly to prove her wrong. But we were cautious too; not wanting to fight against nature stubbornly.
This is it. At over 4000 meter above sea level in a snow-covered environment, were indeed freezing. Who would fathom such a scenario? For those who are visiting this place do be aware of this truth.
On the left is an old pal who climbed to the spot a couple of years ago. That must be in summer. On the right, I could hardly stand for more than 10 minutes outside in the cold. I must confess that I did experience a little discomfort and quickly found my way into the cable station nearby to avoid trouble. But it is every tourist's dream to hit the peak. Well, we did it. Glad.
Only this could grant us comfort again. What a welcoming sight. We were given individual hot pots of nutritious soup, meat and vegetables. It was an enjoyable meal; so clean and healthy. Not oily.
On lower ground, the equally scenic atmosphere attracted so many local people for events such as wedding photo-shoots, family outings and casual gatherings. The cool weather added so much enjoyment. We were glad to have a chance here.
The yak is a revered animal and endemic here. This is also the first time that I see this species at close range and they do not exactly sweet-smelling. The yak has many parts that can contribute to economic purposes. It is no wonder it is well-loved here.
Following the cold climb in the morning, we had a pleasant treat in the afternoon in a live show depicting the life style of the local Naxi folks in their songs, dances and courting scenes. Even the light drizzle did not dampen our spirit as we clapped along the tunes. It was an awesome production by the famous director in zhangyimou. A repeat of the show would not bore anyone.
The visit to the snow-peaked Yulong Snow Mountain and the monumental production etched in my memory.
