xi'an — The-Escapist

This chapter of adventure unfolds thanks to this guy right here. 12 days across Shangai to Xi'an.

12 days is a short duration for China but we had to make do with the time we had and with only a few days left, we came up with: Xitang - Wuyuan - Hongcun - Yellowmountain - Yuntai Mountain - Mount Hua - Xi’an.

We figure it would be a good time to visit China during winter since during this season most of its entrance fee, shop, food and transportation are on half price and to top it off, we could beat the summer crowd.

30th of December 2015, we met at Farhan's place and in order to save a few bucks, we kickstarted our journey by taking the train to Johor, then a bus to Senai Airport followed by a domestic flight to KL before flying off to Shanghai.

We were going to unite with Yana at KL and fly together to Shangai but some complication came up and we had to leave Yana and instead, reunite only at Wuyuan and that got Mr. Boon not as excited.

*complication = Yana, our super experienced travel buddy forgot her visa*

We arrived in Shangai 12mn and the first bus was at 7 am, so we took a quick nap at the airport and when morning came, we took bus 7 to the city center. From the city center, we bought a ticket at the basement to Xitang which was 3 hours away.

The main problem we face while in China is the huge communication barrier but thankfully, Boon is secretly well versed in his mandarin and pretty much rescued the whole trip.

3 hours later we arrived in Xitang water town and it was captivating. It feels so good to arrive at a place you've been googling about all month and the old buildings, rowing boats and bridges make you feel as though you're on an ancient movie set.

I have always loved the idea of celebrating the new year in a different country to experience the different atmosphere and how it differs from the usual. No fancy firework, no hard party and no 'HAPPPYY NEWW YEARRRRR' but definitely there was 'Xinnian Kuaile!!', groups of friends hugging and laughing while couples lit up fancy boat lantern and let it flow through.

Because we only have 12 days, we were very discipline to wake up at every sunrise and constantly on the move. Next sunrise, we head over to Hangzhou bus station to make our way to Wuyuan to meet Yana.

Just behind hangzhou bus station, wait with a view.

As we make our way to Wuyuan, every km traveled, we got closer and Mr. Boon smile got a little wider.

Even before we reach Wuyuan, Yana, our accommodation expert has got us a sweet spot.

We checked-in, We made friends with Chunchun who was traveling solo across China and we explored the nearby area. It's always a joy to be meeting and learning from other travelers on what inspire them to take on a particular trip or the places that they have been too and the stories they have to share. I like to think that each traveler is like a Pokemon, each with its unique set of stories, character, inspirations and history.

The more I travel, the more I discover them and this inspires me to go further.

Early morning the next day, we hired a van to bring us around Wuyuan scenic area. Wuyuan scenic area consists of a few ancient villages and it was recommended that we have transportation to bring us around especially when we don't have the luxury of time.

We had the most unique experience entering little leeking as we were smuggled in!

A car with fully tint window approached and told Yana and Anx to squeeze into the trunk while me and Boon had to hide ourself at the back seat as the driver gracefully drive pass the security check. We were also not allowed to talk to each other and was told to walk fast into the village.

When it gets dark, it was time to leave and time for the next city, Hongchun.

China is filled with ancient architecture and charming villages. Each village with its unique history and character. Hongcun is small but is easily one of the most beautiful villages we have ever visited and it is conveniently situated near Mount Huangshan(Yellow Mountain) so a night would be a really good idea to recover/prepare before climbing up the mountain.Reflective lake and aged buildings are the main features of Hongchun, the village of the ancient Wang Clan.

Like every other morning, we woke up as soon as the sun rises and it was peaceful and quite till the gates open for public to enter. The place was immediately swarmed with tourists and everyone gathers around that one bridge to take the exact same photos.

Went back, packed our bag and was ready to head over to Yellow Mountain and was stunned to know that there isn't any bus service on Sundays. No bus service on a Sunday.

So another van we took to the base of Yellow Mountain.

One of the best thing that was found at the base of Yellow Mountain is KFC. Oh, the joy of having a warm egg tart.

As any other traveller going into a new country, we heard and know of a few stereotypes of the Chinese people. However, at the foot of mount Huashan as we were looking for a way to start the climb, lost and clueless we were looking for a place to put our bags and buy tickets. Came along these two locals who just came down from the mountain and immediately approach Farhan as he was looking at the signages. Farhan told them of our mission and without hesitation they told us where we could place our bags and catch the bus to the east gate where we would start our climb. they even waited till we boarded the bus before they left. Such unexpected kindness and hospitality are one of the most enriching experience of travelling,

We placed our big bag on the counter and only brought our day pack up. There a few way of getting to the top but we took the East route and it didn't regret one bit. We shall talk about the West route in a bit.

Weather wasn't on our side the whole time in Yellow Mountain, It rained on and off and it was really cloudy that we were mostly covered in the clouds and we could only get a glimpse of the rock formations.

So the management decided they going to build a hotel at the top and the only way up is through the stairs.

Our best effort to catch the sunrise was destroyed when it started to rain at the peak.

Coming up from the East route, it took us approx 4 hours. So coming down, we decided to go by the West route and it took us almost 5 hours to reach back down. The west route is long winded but it offers a much scenic view with canyon-like features and marvellous rock formation. According to Yana's watch, we walked over 20k step altogether

We were drenched with a mix of the rain and our perspiration as we reached the base. We then had to rush to the train station so that we could take the earliest next train to Yuntai.

We had to find a way to change as were shivering with our wet clothes and found the perfect changing area.

Murphy's Law- Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. As we arrive at Hefei South station from Huangshan Bei Railway station we rushed to buy a ticket to Zheng Zhou train station which was our next destination. knowing that the connecting train was just minutes away from departure. Upon arrival at Hefei south we approached the counter and was informed that we needed to take a train from Hefei Station. So amazing race style, we ran towards Hefei station but missed the train by mere minutes. What makes travelling a rewarding and enriching experience is the fact that some plans you make will fail, but its ok. It forces you out of your comfort zone, solidify the bonds of friendship and create incredible memories.

It was crowded and there was no way our legs could take 9 hours of standing after climbing up and down Yellow Mountain. We had to take rest at a small gap between the toilet and the cabin and it was extremely cold and dirty with spits all over the floor. What felt like a impossible 9 hours made possible because of the people i am with. We were there for each other and to know that they would go through it all makes it a remarkable experience to go through.

9 hours passed by and we arrived at our next destination, Zheng zhou a bustling city. The reason for this stop was Yuntai Mountain. It was also our first encounter with the Muslim culture in China. We passed by a few food stand and could not pass off the opportunity to try out the food. Our accommodation expert Yana had found a place for us and we started to look for it as soon as we devoured our snack.

Followed our map to where it was supposed to be but it was nowhere in sight. Called the hotel and lo and behold she only spoke mandarin. After much effort, we found our that the hotel only hosted local tourist but with a little negotiation and sweet words we managed to convince the lady to accommodate us. Local hotel= local rate and that is definitely a savings on accommodation.

We woke up early to solat subuh at a local mosque. The feeling of familiarity and "home" was so strong as we entered the mosque. Somewhere thousand of kilometres from home we managed to find a place we felt close to.

We walked over to Zhengzhou bus station to get the bus to Yuntai.

So is it worth going through the dirt, the cold, the cramped and what felt like the longest train ride of our life for this mountain?

Yuntai Mountain is rated 5A by China and is rated one of the first World Geopark by Unesco.

Yuntai Mountain consists of 11 unique scenic area making it impossible to explore in a day. The entrance plus transportation was at half price because of winter and because of winter also that we literally got the place to ourselves. Try googling 'Yuntai Mountain' and you will see a mountain swamped with people and that makes us really lucky. We even had time to do Boon and Yana pre-wedding shoot. loool.

We were running around exploring as much as we could before the mountain closes and we could manage to explore only 2 areas: Red Stone Gorge and Macaque Valley.

You may skip Macaque Valley as we witness how the monkeys were tortured to be trained for performance during the peak season.

After being awed by the vast beauty of Yuntai Mountain, we pack our bag for the main highlight of the trip - Mount Hua

Mount Hua is exceptionally famous for its plank walk and for that exact reason why were there. Mount Hua has 5 peaks that offer 5 spectacular viewpoints

After the trauma from Mount Huashan (Yellow Mountain), we were blessed with clear skies on top of Mount Hua and so we decided that we shall not risk another day to do the plank walk located on the South Peak and proceed over.

Over at the South Peak, we paid about 20 Yuan and was given a harness and two carabiners and no safety briefing. The plank walk is by far the most beautiful experience I have ever done. The beautiful mountain view quickly overtakes the fear of falling. The amazing part about the plank walk is that it allows you to witness the mountainous view up close from a cliffside point of view.

The only chilly part was going down and making our way to the plank. It's narrow and no clear path but once we reach the plank, it was all fun and photoshoot time!

It was so much fun at the plank that we spent too much time, we were there till its almost dark and got chased away by one of the officials. Our plan was to catch the sunset at the West peak but since it was almost dark, we settle for the South peak and caught one of the most magical sunsets.

Thanks to our Mustaffa Centre gorilla pod, we manage to catch the sunset and will be part of #tellingtrailsinchina clip which is now being edited.

As nightfall came, we headed to find shelter and stayed over at the East Peak and it was ridiculously expensive. A room without heater during winter and up in the mountain is disastrous but still memorable. Slept through with full gears on but the advantage is, as soon as we woke up we could go up to the peak to catch the sunrise.

Morning came, the kiasu's Singaporeans woke up at 5 am and start making their way up East Peak and start setting up and waited. The classy Malaysian slept till 7 am. It was freezing cold and as a result:

I was the only one without a sleeping bag so I quietly make my way to a nearby toilet and take warmth. Surprisingly it was warm and clean and a few mins later Anx came, and another few mins later, boon came. We made too much noise and was force out in the cold (again) by the janitor.

We were freezing, we were shivering, we were hugging as we wait for the sun to rise. 2 hours later, a glimpse of morning light came and we realised we weren't at the right spot! We ran to the other side of the mountain and we found Yana! Just woke up, slowly and comfortably making her way to the perfect spot.

Probably the best way to catch a sunrise

Soon after it got bright, we took one final look and it is time to leave Mount Hua for Xi'an. I have been looking forward to Xi'an mainly because of the Muslim quarter area and time to 'melantak'.

From Mount Hua, we took the train to Xi'an.

After feeling foreign throughout the trip, Xi'an provided us with the much-needed hospitality and warmth. A simple 'Assalamualaikum' felt so strong that it was really emotional and special for us all.

Beautiful stone carving calligraphy near the entrance of the Great Mosque of Xi'an.

The whole experience in Xi'an was uplifting as it made me realise the beauty of Islam and inspire me to go out there to learn and discover further.

'Melantak' time

This marks the end of our maggie, fried egg & rice diet.

Like kids in a candy store, we junk on almost every stall. My personal favourite is the grilled chicken (ala-ala Kenny Rodgers) with steering wheel size bread.

I and anx were super hyper-ly excited when we saw a bubble tea shop and quickly bulge in to order. Without Boon, we had no way of communicating and tried reading of the menu and we saw the word 'Oreo'. Literally like kids, we ordered the largest and was anxiously waiting for the vision of an ice cold oreo milkshake playing through our thirsty minds and then came a HOT oreo drink. Boon came in and was the first to laugh before the whole shop started laughing at our disappointed faces.

Then to our final stop, - to the Terracotta.

I was real glad that Boon offered to treat for an English speaking guided tour around the terracotta museum. The terracotta has a very strong history but the one lesson I could pick up is that the warriors were founded by a farmer, who followed his curiosity that leads to one of the most impressive archeological finds in history.

As I was told, the farmer was digging to build a well where he discovered parts of the warriors

As i was told, the farmer was digging to build a well where he discovered parts of the warriors and unlike other earlier farmers who stole or quickly ran because they thought it was dead bodies or bad spirit, he continued till he realises it was going to be something big. He contacted the govt and they send in archaeologist only to find a whole army.

Their discovery did not stop there as they soon found archers, horses and alongside his concubines. The emperor, Qin had ordered the creation of this warriors has he was falling sick and come to realise he could not achieve immortality and needed the warriors protection for his afterlife.

Thanks to the farmer curiosity, a great discovery was made and it quickly got China into the limelight. The terracotta warriors greatly contribute to China's economy up till today with millions of visitors every month.

To end the trip and the blog, it is important would like to remind oneself to forever stay curious and work hard and who knows what amazing discoveries/adventures that will come.

Thank you Farhan, Boon and Yana for making this trip possible.