My friends in Canada recently said that I always have 'safety' on my mind, always checking if things are safe.
So I shared with them my near-death experience on the plateau.
This incident happened when I was 21 years old.
At that time, I was an exchange student at Sichuan University, and the goal of my classmates going to Sichuan University was of course to go to Jiuzhaigou and Daocheng Yading.
Next to Chengdu is the Western Sichuan plateau, so going to the plateau is inevitable!
In order to understand this place better, I also took the "Western Sichuan Scenery" course at Sichuan University that semester (it's a 100-point course, highly recommended).
Before entering winter, in the most beautiful autumn, my roommates and I found a three-day and two-night travel package on Ctrip to experience "Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong" on the plateau.
The cost was not too high, an average of 658 RMB per person. Of course, we did not hesitate to sign up and join. All together!!!
The itinerary was for three days and two nights, including Huanglong, Jiuzhaigou, Tibetan meals, bonfire party, and a four-star hotel.
A total of four Taiwanese students from our department joined together.
The meeting time on the first day was very early, as I recall, we had to leave at 5 o'clock in the morning.
The school bus was not operating as it was too early, so we stayed in the dormitory of the students who lived in the urban campus the night before.
(My campus is near the Shuangliu Airport, the school has a shuttle bus to the urban campus, which is 40-60 minutes away)
Here I come, World Natural Heritage!
The weather was slightly cool in the morning, with a light rain, always not knowing whether it was rain or haze.
There were breakfast vendors nearby, probably because many tour buses would gather and depart here.
So there were many tourist stalls, selling raincoats, slippers, umbrellas, warm packs... this kind of small items.
About 30 minutes later, we gathered on the tour bus after using the toilet.
Very quickly, we entered the abundant experience segment, 40 people in a car. The winding road from Chengdu to the plateau, passing through Wenchuan, the site of the Wenchuan earthquake, gave us a view of the post-disaster landscape.
Why is it called an abundant experience? On the bus, there were those who got car sick and those who didn't, neighbours in front and behind, everyone was holding a garbage bag and vomiting and vomiting and vomiting. The echoing sounds and smell will surely be unforgettable.
Before heading to the highlight of the first day, Huanglong, we stopped at two rest stations for small breaks.
At the first rest station, besides admiring the yaks, I bought the most delicious corn in my life so far (I remember it was 1 RMB), very sweet and delicious.
At the second rest station, I also bought some plateau souvenirs. And saw a Tibetan Mastiff.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, we finally arrived at the Huanglong Scenic Area at an altitude of 3570 meters from Chengdu at 500 meters.
Seven hours, we ascended 3000 meters!
Next was free time, you could take the cable car (ropeway) for 80 RMB, then hike through the entire scenic area, up to the highest Five-Color Pool at 3900 meters.
Up until now, I was still very excited, with no discomfort, no car sickness, and survived amidst the constant vomiting sounds.
Here's a snippet from the official introduction to the Five-Color Pool on the internet:
The Five-Color Pool is located at the highest point of the Huanglong Scenic Area, at an altitude of 3900 meters. Countless large and small pools are like a palette filled with colorful paints, dazzling and captivating under the sun.
We went on October 25th, the city was slightly cold, but there was a misty snow on the mountain at three thousand meters.
For kids who grew up in Taiwan and had little opportunity to see snow, it was very exciting!
I was happily walking, jumping, and taking pictures.
But it was really cold, I started to feel cold from my face, so I put on a mask.
It was snowing lightly, so I put on a raincoat.
The actual fairyland on earth was not emerald green, but a bit yellowish.
After walking for a while, we reached a fork in the road, with two hours left until the gathering time.
One path went uphill, not too far, but you could see the competing pool from above. The other path was the downhill path.
Thinking it shouldn't take too long to go up, I still went up.
I worked very hard to climb to the highest point. I only stayed for a moment, then started to go back. (Because there wasn't much water, it wasn't very beautiful and amazing).
As I walked, it started to get dark, and the gathering time was very tight. Although there were still tourists from the same group along the way, I was still a bit nervous.
Without realizing it, I quickened my pace down the mountain, rushing down in small steps.
Finally, before it was completely dark, I made it to the bus gathering point.
Just as I was glad that I made it to the tour bus with everyone, sat down, adjusted my position, and prepared to have a good sleep. Let the driver take us to enjoy dinner that night.
Little did I know, the nightmare had quietly descended.
The Tibetan Meal I Couldn't Enjoy
We arrived near Chuanzhu Temple in Jiuzhaigou and enjoyed a Tibetan dinner together.
Before entering, we lined up outside, changed into traditional clothes, and experienced things like turning prayer wheels.
I can't remember very clearly, because my only clear and vivid impression is that I vomited a lot in the roadside grass!!
I started watching the shop's song and dance performance in the restaurant, thinking about milk hot pot and milk wine.
A one-day ascent of too much altitude, plus intense exercise when descending the mountain, altitude sickness/high altitude reaction made me just want to rest well and eat some light food. At this time, unfamiliar, unaccustomed, completely wrong flavor Tibetan food was served, I couldn't enjoy it at all!
Sitting in the restaurant, all I could think was "I'm in so much pain", "it's so disgusting", "I want to rest".
As a result, after dinner, there was a bonfire party (collapse)
After suffering a lot, I finally got back to the hotel.
However, my impression of that night in the hotel is only one of hugging the toilet, suffering from a splitting headache, and feeling dizzy. I felt like I was going to die.
I spent the whole night with the toilet. In the end, I was vomiting so much that nothing came out.
There wasn't a single place on my entire body that felt comfortable.
Breathing was wrong, standing was wrong, lying down was wrong, sitting and squatting were wrong.
At that moment, you know "Oh my God! This is the limit of the human body! Don't challenge it!" (shaking)
After a painful night, I called my family and friends in Taiwan for help.
(Some people might ask, why didn't you inhale oxygen? The situation at that time was that they said once you start inhaling, you can't stop inhaling oxygen. There weren't enough oxygen cylinders on site for you to inhale.)
(I also took the medicine to prevent and relieve altitude sickness that I had prepared in Taiwan)
In the morning, I called our tour guide
Please arrange a car for me. No matter what, I want to go down the mountain now!!!!!! No matter how much it costs, I am willing to pay. I don't care if I can get a refund! Please let me go back to the plains!!!!!!
The tour guide was also very good, after knowing my situation. He quickly arranged a small car for me, met the driver quickly, and then took a 7-hour ride down the mountain with a few highlanders.
I finally don't have to suffer another night and a whole car ride. As for Jiuzhaigou, I was just next to it, but I couldn't go.
Knowing that I could go down the mountain, perhaps due to the influence of my mood, my body gradually relaxed.
The lower the car drove, the more comfortable my body felt.
In the middle, we stopped and enjoyed a very, very local small shop's lunch. The impression was unbeatable! Every dish was so delicious, I had never tasted such delicious fish mint before, unforgettable for the rest of my life.
I returned to the plains at 8:30 in the evening.
By then I had recovered, my body had no discomfort at all, only filled with gratitude "I am finally back to the plains, I am so happy." Immediately ate a bowl of Lanzhou noodles near the bus station.
Friends in Chengdu knew about my situation, so they drove to pick me up, and then we went to have Xinjiang barbecue for supper to replenish our bodies(???)
That night, my friend who runs a B&B let me stay in their vacant room for free. The next day, my friends continued to take me to eat hot pot to restore my body.
A very Chengdu-style way of healing. I am really grateful to these noble friends!
From this painful experience, I learned that people have limits! Make the wrong decision and you will suffer!!!
This torturous journey,
The first mistake was that I didn't research the itinerary well and trusted the travel agency's arrangements too much. Ascending 3000m for hiking on the first day, that's totally unreasonable!
The second mistake was that I didn't plan my time well for the hike, I shouldn't have been greedy for the view from the peak, and paid the price for it.
The third mistake was my misunderstanding of my physical health. If I had been in better shape, I probably would have been better.
But I am very grateful to myself for being willing to cut my losses, with survival as the most important thing.
The chartered car down cost 200 RMB, I lost the second day's itinerary and accommodation. But I got back a healthy and comfortable body.
So, what am I saying!
Some places look beautiful in photos, but you don't have to see them in person, because the photos are likely edited.
The scenery captured by a drone, even if you go there, you won't see the exact same view.
Some beautiful things, we can be very satisfied just watching videos on TV.
If you don't have the physique, don't try it easily!
Safety, peace, and health are the most important things in travel.
Only with a healthy body can you enjoy tasting all kinds of food. If your body is uncomfortable, everything is just suffering.
Exotic foods in front of you, all are empty.
