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Tai Shan reboot

JohnnyBlaze

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JohnnyBlaze

JohnnyBlaze

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Some of you might remember that I posted pics of my trip to Tai Shan (in the summer of '05) last year. Ceej recently mentioned that when she went to that thread all the pics weren't able to be viewed. I must've changed the link somehow. So I'm reposting them. In addition, I've included an excerpt of an anecdote about China that I wrote to friends and family in the States. Hope you enjoy.

 

Chapter 1: "Up the 7000 Stairs"

 

Despite leafing through my passport and staring at me and it for several minutes, the Chinese immigration officer asked, "You are American?" "Oh shit" was my first thought but I answered, "Yes." He then pointed to Trevor (who was also having a bit of a problem with his interrogator) and questioned, "Where is he from?" "Short answers are best" I thought and so replied, "England." "Why?" he pushed. "f***ing hell! Why in the world would he ask that?" Before I could answer he continued, "Usually Americans and Englishmen hate each other." Don't tell them where you live (due to the ongoing rocky relation between China and Japan) it's all in the passport anyways just take a deep breath, keep cool. But my sarcastic nature got the best of me despite the circumstances so I answered, "Yah well, we're trying to change that and besides, We work together." Focusing on my photo then me one more time, he closed it then tossed it to me and allowed me to go. Of course we were unaware at the time that this would be just one of several situations we would face on this journey.

 

Fast forward some 5 days later and I was alone at the top of Tai Shan (a holy mountain some 7 hours south of Beijing by train). Tai Shan. Seemingly only famous in China yet cited as a World Heritage Site. Tai Shan. Stairs nearly totalling 7000 which lead up the 5000 plus foot mountain . Tai Shan. Where pilgrims mostly made the trek for religious purposes.

Trev and I had started at the bottom around 830am and reached the midway point around 1130. For those 3 hours we had sweat plenty thanks mostly to a heat wave that was sweeping the Shandong province. And need I mention 180 minutes of walking up stairs? Luckily, there were beverage and trinket peddlers every 15 minutes. So, we took advantage of them (or so we thought) and purchased their bottled water for some 10 cents. Being bogged down by my oversized backpack, I decided to take the ropeway from that point and carry all of Trev's stuff (except for his camera and water) while he finished the top half solo. So there I was at the summit in a village of sorts, being molested by higher altitude peddlers and shopkeepers when all I really wanted to do was to have a beer, take more photos, and just soak it all in. "Hello,hello,hello" was all they could really say to entice me. That and blocking my path completely. And don't forget to tug at my arm...that always helps. Ahhh, China. I guess all that bullshit was part of soaking it all in. So I did but still didn't buy jack. I moseyed into a restaurant that had the best view and said "Beer". I thought it was a universal word. But not there. The waitress looked at me confused and a bit embarassed that she didn't understand. "Hmmm. Sweet girl. I'm the one that's ignorant not you." I looked around, grabbed a pencil and paper and wrote down "Tsing Tao" (a common beer in China) and showed it to her. No dice. She couldn't read the alphabet. So I said "It's okay" and walked out. "No f***ing beer on this mountain? No way. No f***ing way!" I thought. Then right outside the door, nearly rubbing against my feet were several macho-sized bottles of unopened brew. I dashed back inside, brought the girl with me, then pointed to the bottles and put up 1 finger. She smiled and nodded her head. I sat outside right beside the cliff on the pseudo stool, placed my perspiration soaked bag on the solid stone table that looked older than Moses, and waited for the beer. It was about 2 in the afternoon by that point. A bit cloudy and blazing hot but still I had made it. Stairs and stares everywhere, unusual rock formations, shrines sporadically placed up there and below, and other nameless yet beautiful green and grey mountains that extended far in the distance. The waitress came back with the bottle, a plastic cup, and 2 friends. One was the other waitress and the 3rd was a younger guy dressed in khakis and a button down shirt that seemed to be somehow connected with the place. They all sat around me at my table just watching as the first drops of warm beer went down. "Bizarre" I thought. Was this the first time they saw a foreigner? I sure didn't see anyone else like me. I managed to get the first waitress' name which was 'Lei Liu' while the man said, "I am Tai Shan." Dude has a sense of humor. I laughed then said my name was Andy (that being a helluva lot easier to pronounce than 'Andrew' in the Far East). The 2 waitresses kept repeating and giggling, "An-dee. An-dee. An-dee." Was the name strange? Or did it mean something in Chinese? I soon ordered (yet again with my ever-important finger-pointing) instant ramen and tried to continue this conversation. Tai Shan aged 23, was the cousin of the 2nd waitress. She was 22 and Lei Liu 18. An old man who looked liked he was from Kung Fu theater complete with a white and wispy goatee walked past and nodded at the 4 of us. "Must be a priest" I thought. "Who's he?" I asked Lei Liu. No answer. Maybe the question was just too difficult especially since I wasn't about to point at him to help with my inquiry. Then Waitress #2 stood up, demonstrated some martial arts moves and pointed to him. Guess that meant he could easily kick my ass with what I thought would have been years of practice. Deadly Kung Fu Joe (as I internally called him) protecting this sacred mountain from the evils of man and me. After about an hour with my curious new friends I bid them farewell and decided to look for Trevor. They had told me where my hotel was (in not so many words of course) so I headed for that. More stairs gettin' to that building. Shit. I stood outside the Hotel Shenqi, looked around yet again to take in the atmosphere then heard a London accent from above call, "Andy". It was Trev hanging outside the 2nd floor window from our room. He had already checked in some 30 minutes ago. "I just got to the hotel. But how did you happen to look outside at the right time?" I asked. "I was trying to open this bottle of beer with the window pane and there you were." I shouted upwards, "You shoulda tried a bottle opener". Over the window-pane opened beer and Cuban cigars (which we had obtained from our hotel in Beijing), we debriefed each other on what we were up to for the last 4 hours. He had been having some serious leg pain finishing the 7000 stairs while I had been putting on my 'molest the tourist' facial invitations to the best of my ability here at the top. So, after a few laughs I led us back to Lei Liu's restaurant for more warm beer and the coming of darkness. Return to the pseudo stool along the cliff, Lei Liu and company's giggles and stares, warm beer not refreshing yet comforting, and watch the setting sun face Kung Fu Joe's back as he prayed towards the Eastern Sea.

 

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/andrewq2112/Tai%20Shan/DH000018.jpg

Moi, Lei Lui, 'Mr. Tai Shan', Waitress #2, and Trev

 

(more pics coming)

 

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JohnnyBlaze

JohnnyBlaze

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http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/andrewq2112/Tai%20Shan/DH000016_1.jpg

 

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/andrewq2112/Tai%20Shan/DH000036_1.jpg

 

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/andrewq2112/Tai%20Shan/DH000005_2.jpg

Edited by JohnnyBlaze
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JohnnyBlaze

JohnnyBlaze

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There's a saying that if you climb ALL the stairs that you will live to be a hundred. Hence, the line from the song.

 

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/andrewq2112/Tai%20Shan/DH000001_2.jpg

 

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/andrewq2112/Tai%20Shan/DH000009.jpg

 

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/andrewq2112/Tai%20Shan/DH000034.jpg

 

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JohnnyBlaze

JohnnyBlaze

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http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/andrewq2112/Tai%20Shan/DH000048.jpg

at the base

 

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/andrewq2112/Tai%20Shan/DH000022.jpg

 

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/andrewq2112/Tai%20Shan/DH000020_1.jpg

Our waitress balancing on the edge for a pic at sunset

 

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/andrewq2112/Tai%20Shan/DH000017_1.jpg

 

 

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different strings

different strings

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Hey JB I loved those pics last year when you posted them originally but these new ones are just simply stunning. My head naturally played the song as I was viewing and the line "I stood at the top of the mountain and China sang to me " kept repeating - awesome. 2.gif goodpost.gif
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chaotica

chaotica

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ohmy.gif all those stairs.... I think it would take me a year to do all those stairs!!

 

and I thought the stair master would kill me no.gif but those stairs would yes.gif

 

 

Awesome pics.... did you ever findout what they were giggling about?

 

 

glad you had a good time!!

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GhostGirl

GhostGirl

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http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/andrewq2112/Tai%20Shan/DH000017_1.jpg

 

Breathtaking...I wish I was standing there right now.

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DonnaWanna

DonnaWanna

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I envy U Blazer

Awsume pics!

what i wouldnt do to GTF outta NY

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JohnnyBlaze

JohnnyBlaze

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Thanks all for the comments! trink39.gif

 

chaotica, I never did find out what those girls were giggling about. But they were a cool friendly group to hang with for a limited time.

 

liquidcrystalcompass, I did learn how to say 'beer' , 'ashtray', and 'cheers'. Although all I remember is how to say is cheers (pronounced 'kompay'...similar to the Japanese way 'kompai') smile.gif

 

Donna, thanks but don't envy me. You can go there also. yes.gif

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JohnnyBlaze

JohnnyBlaze

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QUOTE (Ancient Ways @ Apr 25 2008, 11:38 AM)
you're living life right man. keep it up
since you didn't make it up all the steps how long will you live?

trink39.gif

Well, I went up 3500 stairs so that'd cut me down to 50 years ('7000' meaning that'd I'd live to 100)...I work out but I also drink & smoke. I eat A LOT of healthy foods but I also eat A LOT of crap. So, I reckon I got about 6 months left wink.gif

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