Hin's 2nd C.O.U.N.T. 1,000,000 steps (Sep 3rd – 26th, 2010)

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7. Plunging V-neckline.

Thean Hin Ooi <ooithin@gmail.com>   Sat, Sep 25, 2010 at 11:27 PM

Hi again,

Men, don't rush to open your email. It's not what you think. After all this is a made for family walk. In any case, No woman would be able to hold this enormous neckline.
 

19/09/10.  07:25 – 17:35.  Started at Jing Zhi Lu, Baijia Kouze – Longzhouxiang (beside Tuqiao Reservioir). Stayed at Lunzehao. (23.3km)

Sep19: 07:27 - 17:35hr: Resumed the walk from our (Ooi, Wee, Ng, Wong) "Huangjia Liang" - we do still have living relatives around here - still no Lin (Lim, Lam) - either they don't die, they don't bury their dead, or they live forever - Lin DaKe, take your pick.

Anyway, it was a cold, drizzling day and started with a couple of small climbs, not so high as the mountainous sections but still very hilly. Then, had to cross 1 river dam and 1 reservoir along the Huanghe tributary near Yangjiawan reservior, which took quite a while. The walk along the wall was fairly uneventful until I came to the village of LongZhouXiang. The wall suddenly took a plunge of 150m down a deep canyon that funnelled into a reservoir. My knees began to wobble and had to do a few "shaky Stevens" to back up to the cliff top. When I look at my GPS tracker, it said that the wall is 1.8km on the other side. There's no way I was going to climb down and up the 2x150m canyon.

I decided to call it a day (it was already 5pm, done 42,386 steps) and met my guide, Chen Huai (CH), who was equally curious to find out where the "Dragon" (the wall) emerges on the other side. With new found bravado (remember the jeep had electrical problems? - which turned out to a protruding screw in the bonnet rubbing against the wires to the fuses, and causing a short circuit every so often - it was a real screw-up short-circuit), the jeep raced 11km across the mountain trails and we saw the sign (a tower = talon) of the "dragon" rising from the depth. We weren't sure the ensuing track was free of further deep fissures, so asked a goatherd and was assured that there weren't any. We then quickly found another goatherd’s house who welcomed us for the night with dinner. Mr young Guo and his wife (2 small children of 3 and 4 years) promptly put up the fire, made fresh noodles and in no time, we had our hot soupy "pan" mee with lots of green peppers and tomatoes. Had a good sleep in the empty, no-light room and went off very early the next morning.
 

20/09/10.  07:15 – 19:30.  Lunzehao –Haizihao – Dongmaojie. (27.7km).

Sep20: 07:17 - 19:30hr: Followed the "dragon" on the other side of the canyon and indeed no major issue until I came to YangQiaoPanZhen, when the "dragon" decided to disappear into the fields of corns and sunflowers. I kept faith with the GPS track and found the raised "molehill" - it being the highest point became the carrying drain of the irrigation canal. The canal ended up in a large lake and the water width was 300m. I could swim but ....

I went into the nearest house and found 2 men lounging in settees and told me that the walk to the lake crossing was 8km. They then conveniently suggested that they could take me across the lake for 30RMB. It wasn't a difficult decision to make - a 300m/30RMB boat ride or a 2x8km walk to reacquaint with the dragon. The bonus was that they could take me to the resumption - which was merely a raised dark mud-dried "walkway" across the dessert - thank goodness.

Now ever since Andreas's visit, he's got me marking beacons, towers, forts, fortresses, and be on the look-out for remnants of bricks in this western walls. Now suddenly my trip is not only an adventure, it became an expedition....and...I was told that some of the bricks bore the maker's name and this would be priceless.....now....it has become a treasure hunt. Wow, a 3-in-1 trip (adventure, expedition, treasure hunt).

As luck would have it, after a number of "naked" towers, stumbled across a "perfect" piece of brick and started taking measurements of it, and I was stumped to look up at the tower and a "perfectly" attached brick wall (sorry, can't carry the whole wall home) on the Mongolian side. Excitedly took measures and photos and of course noted the GPS coordinates. It turned out to be a good day for brick-walls - altogether found 6. Then as I near the village of DongMaoJie, another riddle presented itself - a deep, deep ravine which was just impassable (which was confirmed by a goatherd). The detour would be 3km away.

This was the end of the day, so I thought. The sky turned darker with a slight drizzle, and I signalled CH I was stopping and started to walk the 2.6km to the village. A Toyota Prado came down the lane and I enquired whether they could take me to the village if they were on the way. The 2 yuppie looking men kindly extended their help thinking that they were going that way. Apparently they were from out-of-town and when the call to their local friend confirmed that they had to go the opposite direction, they promptly turned their Prado around. A few moments later, the friend passed a shotgun and a shot ran out. I thought what the PLA couldn't get me in, these two assassins had. I checked my body - no blood, and the friend ran out to the mountain commons and came back with a rabbit. They were out hunting and had already a pheasant and 2 rabbits in plastic bags. Another rabbit later, they decided that they would continue their hunt the other way and dropped me at the nearest farm's house and left me to find my way.

By now, I was further than when I first started and the sun has set - there was no way I could find my way through the mountain trail. I then chanced upon an old man (70's) feeding his goats and asked him the direction to DongMaoJie. He then graciously walked 1km over a mountain to the mountain lane that led me along the wall and assured me that it would lead me to the village, which it did. On reflection, I found it strange that he should asked me for my surname the first instance he saw me - as if, he recognised me - strange - he had some features of my late father. Who are you really, Mr. Hu?

I was glad to catch up with CH, who had already arranged another night in a herdsman's (Yang) place. We had dinner of fried vegetables (lots of peppers, tomatoes) with eggs and fluffy rice - great meal and a sound sleep. These people are vegetarians not by choice - meat is rare and pricey.

Managed 48,530 steps and what along day it turned out to be.

Enough for now, and until the next episode, here's wishing all a great day.

regards,
Hin

PS. Have reached Yulin tonight, the end is near.

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