If it weren't for Deng Deng, perhaps I would never have known that there is such a magical place in the world called Yulong West Village.
Deng Deng is a hiking enthusiast. I met him at the inn at the foot of Mount Siguniang, and he is my roommate. During the conversation, we quickly realized that we were on the same wavelength and had a great conversation, as if we had known each other for a long time.
One day, he suddenly became interested and said he wanted to introduce me to a secret realm. As he spoke, he took out his phone and approached me, as if a golden light had flashed by. Upon closer inspection, the image on his phone was dazzling with gold, presenting an incredibly spectacular scenery that I had never seen before. In an instant, I had an impulse to move towards it
The screen on the phone freezes at sunset. Although the surrounding light has faded, only a huge snowy mountain is shrouded in golden light. The mountain peak stands straight into the clouds, towering like a heavenly deity descending to earth. Its majestic momentum, just a glance, will make people feel revered.
What's even more impressive is that before this snow capped mountain, there was a particularly eye-catching lake. The lake water was clear and transparent, calm like a silver mirror, reflecting all the magnificent snow capped mountains in it. The top and bottom were integrated, echoing each other like folding time and space.
This scene mesmerized me, but at this moment, Deng Deng had to retract his hand, and my head unconsciously moved with his hand, almost colliding into his arms. Then, he put his phone into his pocket again, and I quickly shouted, "Wait! I still need to see..." I grabbed the phone in my hand, admiring it while constantly praising, "wocao... wocao..."
Deng Deng had a proud expression on his face and was not in a hurry even if his phone was taken away. I asked him where this is? He smiled as he watched my focused expression, slowly retrieving his phone. He spoke in a slow and orderly manner, but he always talked to me from side to side. I knew he was deliberately trying to catch my attention, wanting to see me make a fool of myself.
I anxiously asked Deng Deng, "Is this Gongga Snow Mountain?"
I don't know why I suddenly thought of Gongga Snow Mountain. I have never seen Gongga Snow Mountain before, and I vaguely remember mentioning it in TV news. It is the "King of Sichuan Mountains" and the highest peak in Sichuan.
Deng Deng nodded meaningfully, and before he could speak, I continued to ask, "Where was this taken?"
Deng Deng replied, "Cold Ga is wrong!"
"Lengga Cuo? Where is Lengga Cuo?"
"In Yulong West Village."
"Where is Yulong West Village?"
"I'm not sure exactly where it is near Jiagenba."
"Did you take this?"
"Well, yes!"
"Why don't you know where it is?"
"I chartered a car to go, and I only know that I passed by Jiagenba on the way, so I don't know anything else..."
Alright, you're on board. That's all for now. Don't be fooled by me anymore. I thought he was deliberately teasing me, so I threatened him not to force me to go crazy! He said he went with a group of foreign tourist couples, otherwise he wouldn't know about this secret realm. Speaking of which, it was also luck. Originally, they were hiking in groups on the Gongga Ring Road, but unexpectedly encountered a blizzard on the way and gave up the rest of the trip. This sudden change made the foreign couple feel a bit embarrassed about the return time, so they remembered the Lengga Cuo they had seen on an outdoor forum before.
I gave him a thumbs up because he made the right decision, it was like a super valuable deal. After seeing the scenery here, he even tried to search for information about Lengga Cuo online and found that there is no information about this word on domestic websites now! It can be seen that the strategy made by foreigners is to break the cow
According to local Tibetans, the discovery of Lengga Cuo was only three years ago! Few people in the domestic hiking community know about it, let alone how many people have been there. I wonder how these foreigners know so much. Perhaps it is because foreigners who often hike find Tibetans to rent horses that they find out.
It has to be said that the general travel concept in China is much lagging behind that of foreign countries. Travel websites are filled with various food, drink, and entertainment guides, but there are hardly any scenic adventure articles to find. The only source of information that people know about new attractions is official media. Wherever they promote, people go, which leads to people losing the right to choose due to limited knowledge. Whenever holidays come, famous scenic spots with crowds of people are extremely popular among tourists, and the experience is extremely poor. There are countless examples of this.
But on the other hand, the fewer people know about these secret realms, the better. Before the birth of each internet famous scenic spot, it was a secret realm, which not only had very rare scenic wonders, but also had authentic local travel experiences. When the secret realm becomes well-known to people, it is the beginning of losing one's soul, because the secret realm will face changes in becoming a "scenic area", and excessive development will turn it into one incognito existence after another.
Deng Deng sighed and said, "Before it becomes famous, you should go quickly!"
I nodded heavily, feeling that it was not too late. I'm going now! But how am I supposed to go?
Deng Deng thought for a while, but didn't know where to start, so he only gave me everything he knew. He said, "First, go to Kangding. That's the only way to get to Jiagenba and also the only way to get to Yulong West Village. After you get there, ask for directions by throwing stones!"
I think so. Anyway, Kangding is also a city where there are many great tourists and it is relatively convenient to charter a car. Although Deng Deng's suggestions are not comprehensive enough, for me, this has given me great confidence in being able to go to Yulong West Village. I took Deng Deng's phone again and looked at this picture intoxicated. Although my body was still on Mount Siguniang, my heart had already flown to Gongga.
A few days later, as I passed by Ganzi, I met Azi and Yanyu. They were also pitiful creatures who were mesmerized by the picture on their phones. We met at the Gongga International Youth Hostel in Kangding, preparing to embark on this miraculous journey with a meal of yak mushroom hot pot.
Do you still remember Boss You who stole chicken from the movie "Party A and Party B"? Poor him, he even eats mice. If he can't eat meat, he's almost cannibalistic! Perhaps it's because we're too afraid of being like this bird, we have to make up for it before we enter the village. But the three people who seemed to be eating very hard had cute stomachs. They vomited and still had half left. Not only did they not finish yak meat, but they also couldn't finish mushrooms. Looking at the pot full of nutrients that couldn't be taken away, it made us very sad
After drinking and eating, we wandered by the Kangding River, surrounded by bright lights, giving the night scenery of Kangding the charm of a big city. Especially the Tibetan murals carved on the mountain walls, when illuminated by the lights, the light and shadow appeared particularly mysterious, truly worthy of the taste of the Tibetan region.
After all, as a girl, Azi is always happy and satisfied when she sees beautiful things, and she must take photos with them. Therefore, it is extremely important for her to take a moment of remembrance. She takes a few photos on the left and a few photos on the right, but no matter how many photos she takes, she cannot take enough.
And Yanyu leaned against the railing and lit a cigarette, as if igniting a longing. As he watched the river flow eastward, he sucked in the smoke fiercely and then slowly exhaled it, pretending to be deep, but it seemed like he was spitting out both longing and resentment.
Only I am a bit afraid of the cold. Not only do I have to zip up my assault suit, but I also have to hide my hands in my pockets, leaving only two eyes to observe the surroundings, which is as unknown as a piece of wood.
After wandering for a while, I suddenly thought of a question: we haven't figured out how to get to Yulong West Village yet! Just now, the hot pot seemed to have been eaten for nothing. The three of them stood by the river, staring at each other silently, and couldn't help but burst out laughing
I remember when I went out for a meal, I saw several carpooling routes written on the small blackboard of the Youth Travel Agency. I was in a hurry to eat and didn't study them carefully. I went back to ask the Youth Travel Agency boss, maybe he would know a little bit!
Returning to the inn, it was already getting late. After discussing it, we divided our actions. Azi went back to pack her package, Yanyu was responsible for finding suitable vehicles or transportation nearby, while I was responsible for finding the inn owner to understand the situation.
I never dreamt of it, we really found the right person!
The innkeeper has over a year of experience teaching as a volunteer at Yulong West Village Primary School, and he said he is very familiar with it. Listening to him say this, we couldn't help but respect him deeply. Seeing us inquiring, he asked, "How long are you planning to go? I have a route to Quanhua Beach, but I have to go back and forth with the group!"
I thought about it for a while, and it would take at least one day to get to Yulong West Village. On the day we arrived at Yulong West Village, the weather conditions were unknown, and it was still uncertain whether we could stand in Lengga Cuo and watch the sunset. Therefore, the actual itinerary would take us at least two days. If we didn't see the expected sunshine in Jinshan, I might have to stay one more day. So, I told him, about three or four days!
Upon hearing this, the innkeeper looked puzzled and asked, "Hmm? Where are you planning to stay? Have you booked a place to stay?" Perhaps because he had lived there before and understood the living environment there, he felt a little worried when he saw us ignorant children.
None of us are carrying a tent, so we cannot camp in the wilderness. If there are no hotels or inns in the local area, I think we can at least seek help from the local Tibetans. If we are lucky, we can stay at the homes of Tibetans, and the conditions are almost indifferent. After all, what we are pursuing is Lengga Cuo, it is Gongga Mountain!
The innkeeper's lips slightly curved upwards, showing a hint of appreciation. He smiled and said, "If you're willing to live in Tibetan homes, that's easy! To go to Yulong West Village, you need to climb over Zheduo Mountain and reach Jiagenba, and then choose a relatively easy road based on the actual situation. The road there is really terrible, so it's best for you to assemble an off-road vehicle. The cost of the off-road vehicle is about 800 yuan, and each of the four people should share 200 yuan!" He glanced at us and continued, "But you three... it seems a bit expensive..."
Upon hearing this price, I seemed a bit reluctant to part with it
I resigned and went out to travel around the world, always visiting many places under the banner of poverty. If I could use my legs, I would never take a taxi. If I could use public transportation, I would never take a taxi. However, Yulong West Village is too far away from us. Although the transportation cost is expensive, this trip was originally designed for Yulong West Village. If I don't go, wouldn't it be like "Ye Gonghao Long". I said to my older brother, "What should we do? It's really not possible, we can only go through this way! After all, everyone has come..."
"Alternatively... you can take a bus to Shad first, and then hire a car from Shad to Yulongxi Village. However, I don't know what the road conditions are like there. I heard that the road is under construction, but it's also possible that it hasn't been repaired... However, in this way, buying a bus ticket only costs 30 yuan, and taking a taxi costs 300 to 400 yuan. After calculating, the cost of transportation for each person is about 130 to 40 yuan, which saves a lot of expenses..." The boss pointed and drew on the map, while helping us calculate. I didn't expect to know two options at once, one is convenient but expensive, and the other is low-cost but the process is complicated
For us, expenses are naturally what we can save, but at this point, we finally turned our confused plan into a real goal. Money seems to be no longer important, and goals are more important than anything else
When leaving the inn, the boss reminded us to be more careful! The altitude of Yulongxi Village is over 4000 meters, and the surrounding scenic spots are much higher than the village, all located on the mountainside or mountaintop. The infrastructure in the village is poor, and the medical conditions are extremely rudimentary. Once there is a physical discomfort such as high fever, it is necessary to evacuate immediately to avoid delaying the condition and causing irreversible consequences. We thanked the boss repeatedly, our gratitude overflowing in words, and we almost cried goodbye
The next day, just as it was dawn, the three of us were ready to set off. Due to the previous night's misty rain, we couldn't find a suitable vehicle to go to Yulong West Village, so we had to take to the streets early to look for a car. As expected, as soon as we took the street, we saw many chartered drivers waiting on the roadside to do some work. We walked over to one of them to inquire about the price, but unexpectedly, several people gathered around us all at once!
It seems that there are quite a few cars available for us to choose from, and we exchanged glances, feeling a bit confident in our hearts. After chatting for a while, some drivers have never heard of Yulong West Village, while others are unwilling to go. The rest are determined to pay a fare of 800 yuan without letting go. Of course, we are not in a hurry, after all, there is a second option for taking the bus
So, we pretended to be carrying backpacks and waiting at the bus stop. At this moment, a Tibetan man suddenly came over to talk to us. He nodded and greeted us, then leaned in.
This Tibetan man has rough skin, a dark complexion, and a plump body that appears quite sturdy. He looks a bit fierce, but his words reveal reality. He asked us where to go?
I replied, "Go to Yulong West Village!"
He pointed to the white off-road vehicle not far away and said, "I'll take you there! I have an off-road vehicle!"
I asked him with great interest, "How much is it?"
The Tibetan man chuckled and said, "If they're eight hundred, I'll take you with me if I'm seven hundred!"
Turns out he already knew where we were going, so it seems he came behind the organization to do business. Although it was reduced by one hundred yuan, I still feel that the price is not suitable. Besides, it's not convenient for us to share the seven hundred yuan ourselves. I pretended not to care and said, "Forget it, let's take the bus instead! Seven hundred, it's too expensive!"
Seeing that I was not moved, the Tibetan man began to complain, "Seven hundred is still more... I only charge you seven hundred during the off-season, and our price during the peak season is between fifteen to two thousand!"
I know it's the off-season. There are more monks than porridge. Even if the fare drops a little more, they can still earn some money. It's better to earn less than leave the car idle for a day! So, I pretended to be pitiful and said, "We are all poor travelers, we really don't have much money... Didn't you see us waiting for the bus?"
The Tibetan man became a bit anxious and asked us, "So how much do you say?" He paused before continuing, "The bus only goes to Shad, and the money you spent on hiring a car from Shad is not less than that. There was also unnecessary trouble. Besides, whether Shad can hire a car or not is another question!"
Seeing whether we were in a hurry or not, he looked around and continued, "If they come over again, I'll still be eight hundred. I'm sure we won't negotiate again. After you pass through this village, you won't have this shop anymore!"
Upon hearing what he said, I hesitated a bit because what he said was indeed reasonable. If we haven't hired a car in Shad, wouldn't we have to stop in Shad. If you encounter the worst-case scenario, you may have to waste a day in Shad. If I waste a day because of saving so many tens of dollars, I would rather spend those tens of dollars because the corresponding time cost is too high. By taking his car, we not only don't have to fuss too much, but also avoid the fatigue of squeezing the bus, making ourselves more comfortable.
I repeatedly lobbied myself, but in fact, my heart had already compromised, but my mouth still had to fight for it again. I wanted to tentatively negotiate the price with him again, but I couldn't resist the momentum. My tone remained dismissive and I said, "600 yuan is not enough! The three of us can share 200 yuan each, which is acceptable..."
The Tibetan man reluctantly pursed his lips and stopped responding. As he turned around and was about to leave, I felt something was wrong and suddenly became nervous. I quickly shouted, "Wait a minute!"!
Unexpectedly, my words were all on the tip of my tongue. He turned his body half a circle, paused for two seconds, and then turned back. I was overjoyed and quickly swallowed the words back into my stomach. I quickly smiled and greeted each other, thinking to myself, you should agree quickly!
"Then... six... hundred... five..." I don't know how many resolutions the Tibetan man made in his heart, speaking word by word. As soon as I heard the Tibetan man relax, it seemed like there was a play. I quickly approached him and said, "What's the point of five? Six hundred... six hundred!"
Upon seeing this, Azi also went up and started to coax. The Tibetan man suddenly became a bit at a loss, feeling embarrassed to refuse. As the saying goes, "reach out and don't hit a smiling person.". Looking at our extremely flattering smiling faces, he helplessly pointed in the direction of the car and said, "Oh... six hundred is six hundred..." After finishing, we ran all the way and quickly got on the car.
In the car, we happily greeted the driver as brothers and chatted endlessly, singing and advancing all the way. Quickly climbed over Zheduo Mountain, passed through Jiagenba, bypassed Shad, passed through Shangmuju, and traveled intermittently for over four hours by car. Just as we were exhausted and sleeping soundly, suddenly someone patted my shoulder and called me to wake up. I vaguely heard someone say, "Yulong West Village has arrived..."
I sat up with sleepy eyes, turned my head to look out of the car window, and in front of me was a vast wilderness