July 19th
Our group returned yesterday evening from the Kawagebo/Meili Xueshan mountain range in northwestern Yunnan province. Students stayed in the Bodhi Inn last night and will stay here again for one more night before returning to home stays tomorrow.
The trek was fantastic. We hiked, supported one another, visited a holy waterfall, ate delicious meals, enjoyed our bucolic surroundings high in the mountains, and played Werewolf, a game that Ilyena "Gamemaster" Kozain introduced to our group during our time away from Shangri-La.
The time we spent in the mountainous, rural areas of Xīdāng and Yǔbēng on our trek was unforgettable, but rather than attempting to describe it myself, included are excerpts from students' written reflections below.
Alexander wrote: "The hike we just finished could only be described as a cultural experience earned justly. Our trip began with a trip through the mountains of Western China and ended in a small village at the base of a huge mountain. The next day we began a hike up the mountain where we would summit and then descend into Upper Yubeng, where we would reside for two days. The following morning, we began our hike to the Meili Snow Mountain, a religious landmark for Tibetan Buddhism. There we ran through the fall, ate lunch, and hiked back. What I liked most was running through the waterfall three times. As described by Tashi, our guide, it is intended to wash away bad luck and sin. After the group had finished running through the fall and pack up, I decided to get some of the 'holy water' falling from the cliffs. However after filling up my bottle and Jon Beard's, he told me that the pool that I got the water from was not drinkable. So back I go now with Nate's bottle in hand, I stand in this freezing waterfall trying to collect what is like a mist and a drizzle of water into some plastic bottles. This was brutal as it seemingly took forever. Standing in the freezing water with my rice hat being drenched was the only negative part of this trip."
Van wrote about how much she loved the hike in general, and how accomplished she felt. She wrote: "The waterfall was gorgeous and I thought that I couldn't make it. I loved feeling the cold water while running through it; it reminded me so much of morning swim practices. The village was beautiful too, it was so rural and there were so many cultural imprints. It showed me the different side of China, a side I wouldn't have seen if I hadn't gone on this trip." Van also wrote about how long the car ride was to the mountains, and how hiking downhill was really difficult. She mentioned playing for a half hour with a couple of little Chinese kids who were cute but were also a "nightmare to handle."
Of the trek, Chloe writes that it was great "seeing very rural China, and prayer flags everywhere." She wrote that she felt refreshed after visiting the waterfall, and that it's good "getting outside of my comfort zone." Challenges for her included the long ride back to Shangri-La, and the bad smells in the village. She wrote about her memory of getting to the top of the mountain to the waterfall with Tahg and Alex and just being in awe of the glaciers, surrounding mountains, and peaceful atmosphere.
Nathaniel writes: "I really liked the scenery, the mountains were beautiful. I loved the fact that we were surrounded by nature, and a much more traditional lifestyle. I also liked being able to be outdoors and be active." The things that he said were challenging for him were the long, tough hikes, and the altitude. Also, the beds that we stayed in were not designed for people above six feet tall. Nathaniel wrote about his memory of the "screams and the looks on people's faces as we walked through the ice cold water fall."
Matt wrote: "I loved the beautiful views from the summit and the trek up. I loved running half naked through the freezing glacier waterfall three times. I also loved bumping tunes in the van with Xiǎolóng." Matt said that he had trouble with how dirty the floor was in the guest house where we stayed. Also, walking back up the mountain to get back to the van was a challenge for him. An unforgettable moment for him was running through that waterfall!
Declan wrote: "The absolute best part of the trek, and probably the trip so far, was making it up to the Yubeng Sacred Waterfall and running through it three times." Also, "Ilyena introducing the game Werewolf which allowed us to have fun at night, while probably gaining a few noise complaints." He wrote that "the photos that I was able to get on the trek alone were worth the tough hikes and great to have to look back on." As for difficulties he experienced, Declan mentioned that "going downhill on all the hikes was harder than I expected...especially hard on the knees. Sleeping was harder on the trek because of the tough beds and a rooster who lived right outside our windows. The places we stayed at were much different than before, especially sanitation wise, which made it hard at times." Memories Delcan mentioned: "Watching Marshall ride past us on his mule while we were struggling to hike out of the Yubeng Upper Village. Drinking the water from the sacred waterfall was very refreshing and a cool tradition to be a part of. The 5 hour drive to the mountain was awesome, even though we were cramped in the smallest van, because our driver loved listening to Maroon 5 and the views were amazing."
Marshall wrote that he loved: 1) The amazing view, 2) good food and 3) evening community games. He said that he didn't like "the first hike over the mountain, flies in the first hotel, and the long car ride back." He also wrote: "I will never forget the view from the waterfall or being fourth up the mountain."
Myles wrote that his favorite things were the waterfall, the food, and the group's attitude toward hiking. A couple of challenging things were having to climb through the window of his guest house room because there was no key for the door, and the mental struggle of hiking up to the waterfall. He also wrote that the things he'll have the most trouble forgetting include running through the waterfall with the whole group and "seeing and being that close to a glacier, while taking pictures and witnessing the views of the snowy mountains and valleys."
Tahg wrote: "Our four day excursion was much needed. I missed being with the group all the time. Therefore being with everyone was a lot of fun. I also really enjoyed the three hikes, no matter how much my blisters hurt. The best part of the trek was definitely the waterfall. It was an amazing feeling reaching the top and seeing the glacier. Even running through the freezing glacier water was such an awesome experience." Tahg also described feeling challenged by the biggest blisters he's ever had. He also did not enjoy the rock hard beds of rural China. Finally, the most fun he had was playing Werewolf with our group and described it as "a great bonding exercise and one of the most fun things I have done."
Ilyena loved the toughness of the hike, the beauty of the clouds hanging in the spaces between the mountains, and how amazing she felt after the hike and after hot showers. She also loved the breathtaking views on the car ride to and from the hike, and on the hike itself. Some memories that she shared included leaving a pendant she received from the lama at the lamasery on the mountain in honor of Dave Pilla, as well as seeing a pig scratch itself on a tree for quite a while. She also brought up hearing the yelps of joy as our group ran through the sacred waterfall and playing "vicious games of Werewolf in the wooden chalet/motel, surrounded by clouds."
As for myself, I loved witnessing the strong bonds of our group throughout our trek. I loved seeing the open-mindedness, humor and curiosity of the students, even as they were pushed out of their comfort zones in a very different land.
Back in Shangri-La, students are back in language classes and have been participating in cooking classes as well. This Sunday, we plan to write some messages, thoughts, and prayers on prayer flags to honor Dave Pilla and return to the White Chicken Temple to hang the flags up between trees.