Roof of the world Part IX

So far today's assembly is the latest. The time that we meet for breakfast is normally the time we would have been on the road. Because of the late assembly, everyone decided to sleep late. The girls gathered to gossip while the guys stick to watching TV in the room. Anywya its showing this drama that I quite like.

Just when I entered my room and turn on the light, the phone in the room rang. Was taken aback, wondering who was calling. Its the previous guide! Caused I SMS him earlier on about the Tibet Tricholoma Matsutake, to see if he knows much about it. Any recommendation for price range.

By the time he called, I have made my I-suspect-I-kena-conned purchase already. It does not really matters. Just take it that I should be filial lor. Then he checked if our side is ok, if the room was acceptable. Told him that after Tuo Tuo He, what could be worse than that?

Kept reminding me that if we have any problems, informed him immediately especially in Chengdu. A very reliable and responsible person. He even ji me to go trekking with him to I-can't-remember-where. I'm tempted liao. Time to talk to boss and arrange my leaves.

We head for this Garden of the World Cypress King first. Inside the garden reside a 2600 years old cypress. I wonder if that is the oldest living things alive. Its truk has somehow splits 3 ways and continue to grow upwards. The local tibetan are responsible for its daily protection, against people idiots that like to engrave on the trunk.

After the garden, next is Lulang Forest Sea (Lu Lang Lin Hai). Before that we have to scale to 4700m above sea level. At Mount Se Ji La entrance, its empty with nothing interesting in sight. We din even bother to stop for any I-have-been-here photo session.

They actually built a pavilion that goes down and out a bit for visitors to enjoy the forest sea. What goes down must come up as well. I know it the moment we travel downward, that we are going to be breathless when coming up. Die. Though it only look like 3 stories in height but at such altitude, its still not easy, especially for those who never exercise.

Too bad its drizzling when we reach the top, so its a little disappointing but worth the view and walk. You can see a sea of tress on the mountain side beneath the pavilion. We actually ended up taking more photos of ourselves than the surrounding.

On the way down the mountain, we stop over at this partway stone partway wood bridge for photo taking session again. We must be behaving like suaku people cause the driver is always sniggering away. As I cross the bridge, I see a piglet at the other end of the bridge. The closer I get to it, the more it wants to get away from me.

Maybe it sees in my eyes the sparkling delicious shape of a saucy pork chop. Yummy. I finally corner it to the end of the bridge by a tree. Or rather it choose to take the dead end corner instead of runaway corner. Then I snap and snap and I retreat once I'm done with it. Someone go up close to shoot and I can see the piglet trying to dash back to the main road side. That someone gives way to the piglet and it really dashes across the bridge, knocking my buddy's leg and sending some of the girls screaming away. Its a funny and priceless moment. Damn. My hands action not fast enough to snap it. Damn again.

We then head for Ba Song Cuo (Basong Lake), the Jiu Zhai Gou of Tibet. Along the way, we pick up some backpackers whose vehicle breaks down along the way. The driver find them pitiful, having to walk uphill and still some 30km away from Ba Song Cuo. But of course the driver does ask for our permission. Afterall, we are the clients.

There is an island (Hu Xin Dao) within the lake. On the island is a temple built around the end of the Tang dynasty era. There is a peach and pine tree that interweave together like they are one single tree. Then touch for dunno what reason. Think its some good luck or something like that. I just use my hand to touch bit bit nia. Can see people hugging it like its some teddy bear. Wah kauz. Dirty lehhhhhh.

There is a dunno if its a wolf or dog animal kept by the monks. The monk brought it back from the mountain when tis very young, after its mother died. Can see lotsa visitors taking photo of/with it. Many asking if its a dog or wolf. Some say dog, some say wolf. You ask me? I dunno. Ears look like wolf, eyes look like dog, stand like wolf, fur like dunno what. So poor thing, machiam like exhibition item.

Tonight's lodging is at this resort inside Ba Song Cuo. Its of acceptable condition. We are given a cabin with exactly 8 beds. 5 beds in a room with the toilet and 3 beds in another room with the TV. Weird combo. Its kind of inconvenient to walk over to the ladies room to use the toilet. So the guys decided to upgrade to the villa class.

Villa class sure does look better. Bigger toilet. Bigger room. Same TV though. And walking inside the room can feel the whole room shakes! Like those container office.

Its going to be a cold night to sleep on the mountain top.