Anhui, part 5: Up Huangshan

We awoke to pure quiet and stillness. The highway outside our Tangkou hotel was empty. An hour later, there was an occasional horn honk, but not much at all compared to the night before.

We had a breakfast of porridge, egg, pickled vegetables, and shouting people. Chunlin wasn't satisfied, so she went to buy more bread, etc. Fried dough.

Soon our tour group from the day before (all staying at the same hotel) was herded up the street toward the bus depot. While on foot, it was easier for me to see which construction scaffolds were built with steel and which with bamboo.

Important stuff for an architect, you know.

At the bus depot, we met dozens of other with our same red hats and hundreds of other tourists in different colors, all filing onto the dozens of buses. Huangshan is a big production.



We were taken to the New Yungu Cable Car and given the option of walking up the hill (about 4000' gain) or taking the cable car. We took the cable car.









At the top, on White Goose Ridge, we followed the flow of humanity down the paved trail.


Sometimes the trail isn't so much a trail as a long balcony full of steps. They managed to make it paved the same on top, so when you're walking, it always looks like you're on solid ground. It wasn't until we rounded the bend that I realized for how far we had been cantilevered.

The scenery was, as expected, exquisite.











The tour guides were terribly loud, however, what with their electronic megaphones.

Lots of staircases. Crowded staircases. So be careful and show some comity!


I've posted more photos on flickr, if you'd like to see them...