Uphill all the way-Yunnan Escapades

We woke up at 7 am to get ready for our 8:30 start. Unfortunately, our guides didn't wake up until about 9, so we didn't get the early start we intended. By the time we ate and got rolling it was pushing 10 am. Well, A Luo never guaranteed responsible guides. So off we headed.








(Above the clouds)










About 2 hours into our climb, our main guide Jason warned us of the leech factor. He recommended we not stop for any resting, but keep moving, so as to keep the little bloodsuckers from feeding on us.

We stopped at one point where Evan found a leech on his shoe trying to squeeze in through a shoelace hole. He knocked it off and then more or less proceeded to run the rest of the way up the hill.

Finally, we reached a rocky meadow, clear of leeches. We ripped off our shoes and socks and searched thoroughly. No leeches today.



















It was cool to watch the clouds just roll by so quickly














This doesn't look that steep, but its about a 70 degree incline. Our guide was gathering flowers to make a hat.




We just kept marching up the hill. It got to a point where I was just counting 200 steps and then stop for a few minutes. Then another 200 steps, and then stop again. We gained some serious altitude, especially for a Florida boy like me.



This was our last major obstacle before the peak. Evan and I just stood there staring at them, and they back at us. I suggested we go slowly and see what they do. Well, if any one of them charged me, I'd have shit me pants, but luckily they jumped off the path and we continued up to the peak.

Payback for Being a Carniverous Beeef Eating Sicko- Yunnan Escapades

Evan and I, being the only two outsiders, were directed to sleep in the old man's house (cabin) next door. We didn't speak Tibetan, and he didn't speak any Chinese. It was a welcome change, however, from the overcrowded situation.

The trek back through the shithole was challenging, especially because I had to put my wet socks and shoes back on. Keep in mind, that its dark now, and I only have my little pen light to navigate my way through the muddy shithole.

Once in our sleeping quarters, we waited for over an hour for dinner. Evan and I stared at the old man, and he just stared back at us. It sucked because I really didn't want to take my shoes off again, because I figured they would be calling us back over any minute.

So we finally meandered over for dinner. We ate like monsters and then headed back to our sleeping quarters again.

I unrolled the little mat across the wooden planks and spread out the "too small for me" sleeping bag. I crawled inside and sipped it up. All of I could think of was slipping into a deep sleep. My legs ached. My back ached. My head ached. My whole body was throbbing. I was wiped out. I glanced at my shoes drying out by the fire. The insoles had crinkled up a bit from the heat. I didn't care.

I looked at the old man. He had a log for a pillow. Jesus, am I ever a pussy.

My body felt like it was about to explode. I couldn't relax. I could feel the blood running through my legs. I wanted to sleep. I just wanted to sleep. Then the noises started.

What kind of strange fucking animal is that? And there are a lot of them.

Every five minutes.
Every fucking five minutes.
Every fucking five minutes I heard a cowl, a groan, or a grunt come from under the floor. I pulled opened the zipper to my sleeping bag. I had to piss. I went outside and pissed off the balcony into the dark, cold abyss below.

Back inside, I crawled into my sleeping bag. I tried to zip it up, but the zipper got stuck. In a frenzy of frustration, I forced the zipper into malfunction. Fucking great. So much for that.

I couldn't tell if the animals below were fighting or fucking or both. Every single time I started to pass out, I was awakened abruptly and roughly. By that, I mean one of the fucking/fighting animals below was either having a howling orgasm or getting nailed from behind. Prison life, eh? Consequently, each call was followed by the beast's head and horns jacking me up a few inches of my sleeping plank.

In all, I got about two hours of sleep all night. Yaks. God damn yaks.

Karmic payback for sure.