This little ticket was the beginning of one of the hardest things I've ever done.
So we decided to go to Nanjing since we had a three day weekend due to the Dragon Boat festival.
<---- Goofing off while in the waiting room for the bullet train. The train was huge and spacious and it went 300 km/h !! It was insane! It still took about two hours to get to Nanjing though. Super far!
The first night there was unremarkable. We stayed in a hotel (five guys in one room, five girls in another) and went to bed early because we had all agreed we were going to visit purple mountain......
I was not made aware that "visit" meant "hike".
See that giant thing in the distance?!
Yeah.
That.
That's what we were going to "visit"
Yeah.
That.
That's what we were going to "visit"
Luckily when we get there (via a combination of bus, and confused roundabout walking) there's a nice little touristy area where you can get a little train ride around to see all the exhibits.
Right up my alley.
We get tickets and get on the train. The train takes us to a chair lift, which takes us to the summit of the mountain.
Right up my alley.
We get tickets and get on the train. The train takes us to a chair lift, which takes us to the summit of the mountain.
Very peaceful, however it was so high up that we were in a cloud so it was hard to see too much...
This is where we made the wrong decision.
Instead of getting back on the lift, we decided to look for some of the exhibits on foot....
This was decided around eleven a.m.
You probably already know where this is going....
This is where we made the wrong decision.
Instead of getting back on the lift, we decided to look for some of the exhibits on foot....
This was decided around eleven a.m.
You probably already know where this is going....
We fucking got lost.
Got lost on a mountain, in China and combined all ten of us knew about 30 Chinese words. We decided to just keep heading down the mountain, and eventually, we should get to the end right?
Down has to be the right way right?
Wrong.
After three hours of walking there was still no end to the path we were taking. A couple of people suggested we branch off to another path that had a run down sign saying "scenic overlook"
We all decided to go that way because there had to be someone running the "scenic overlook" and we could get directions.
An hour later we get there, and there WAS someone working there. When we asked where the exit was, he pointed back the way we came ....
We debated heading back to the lift and taking it down. The only thing was that the lift closed at 6 and it was almost 4 and there was no way to get back there in time.
We started heading back the way we came and ran across an intersection. We went right and found some restrooms and, miraculously, a pavement path with a Buddha!
Down has to be the right way right?
Wrong.
After three hours of walking there was still no end to the path we were taking. A couple of people suggested we branch off to another path that had a run down sign saying "scenic overlook"
We all decided to go that way because there had to be someone running the "scenic overlook" and we could get directions.
An hour later we get there, and there WAS someone working there. When we asked where the exit was, he pointed back the way we came ....
We debated heading back to the lift and taking it down. The only thing was that the lift closed at 6 and it was almost 4 and there was no way to get back there in time.
We started heading back the way we came and ran across an intersection. We went right and found some restrooms and, miraculously, a pavement path with a Buddha!
By this point it's like 6 pm and we're legitimately worried we wont make it off the mountain before dark. We're all stinky, tired and have been walking for almost 7 hours at this point.
We continue on down the pavement path and eventually run into a tiny 10 car parking lot. We collectively try to ask the parking attendant how to get back to the entrance and he shows us a map...
We continue on down the pavement path and eventually run into a tiny 10 car parking lot. We collectively try to ask the parking attendant how to get back to the entrance and he shows us a map...
We had hiked down the wrong side of the mountain.
The entrance to the tourist section was on the other side of the mountain. We weren't even in the park/exhibit/tourist part of this thing anymore. At that moment I thought I was going to cry. Everyone's phones were dead, we were all starving since we hadn't eaten since breakfast at 9....
The parking attendant spoke to whom I'm assuming was his wife and they said civilization/any place with a metro was half an hour away by foot.
And then something happened that truly speaks to the character of Chinese people:
This old man and lady walked us the entire way to the metro. Thirty minutes for 10 complete strangers. They were afraid we would get lost again.
I was so humbled by their kindness.
We thanked them and ran down into the station, got on the metro, hopped on a bullet train ( at 8pm) and hauled ass at 300 km/h back to Shanghai.
Nine hours spent lost.
The parking attendant spoke to whom I'm assuming was his wife and they said civilization/any place with a metro was half an hour away by foot.
And then something happened that truly speaks to the character of Chinese people:
This old man and lady walked us the entire way to the metro. Thirty minutes for 10 complete strangers. They were afraid we would get lost again.
I was so humbled by their kindness.
We thanked them and ran down into the station, got on the metro, hopped on a bullet train ( at 8pm) and hauled ass at 300 km/h back to Shanghai.
Nine hours spent lost.