The fast and slow of our holiday in the mountains

NOTE: Due to the large number of pics (over 100) and 2 vids, most pics and vids are at post end and they are unsorted because ain't nobody got time for that.

I’m sitting on a train, cruising along at 348km/h (that’s 215MPH) and watching a large swath of China blur by.  Kiddo is, by the way, loving it.  We are returning to Shanghai after a few days in Zhangjiajie on the Avatar Mountains.  They are so named because the film Avatar was filmed there.  We got to see a lot of it and have some adventures.  We also had a pool and we got little miss fish back for a few days.   We also saw the return of “Crack Ball”.  We’re not sure if she loved the National Forest or the pool more.  LOL

First, we got up at 4am to make our train and that was fine.  We found a Starbucks in the rail station and had coffee and munchies.  Nothing spectacular, but it was coffee and food, so we can’t complain much.  Then, we got to experience the train.  Security was easy.  A breeze, compared to airports.  Then, the gate.  We presented passports, they put that on a scanner and it went green and we were allowed thru the gates.  Super simple, efficient, and quick.  We found our car and our row and settled in.

I have to say, it took longer than a flight, by about 3 hours (it was a 7 hour journey), but without airport security and scrutiny, taxing out, delays, etc, and the flight we could have taken would have saved us 77 minutes.  Yeah, I tracked it.  However, for those 77 minutes we saved, we had much more comfort.  The seats are twice as wide.  The leg room is tripled.  The amenities are fantastic.  We ordered Starbucks on the train and at one of the stops, a porter dropped off the items and J and I had a coffee.  Yes, we did pay up, but only 10%.  That is NOTHING in the grand scheme of things.  We didn’t, but we could have also ordered food from local restaurants or fast-food chains and had it similarly delivered to us onboard.  So, that was a much better experience.

We were also free to walk about as we traveled.  Kiddo and I took a little walk at the half way point.  We went from our car to the first class coach, which (obviously) we were barred from.  Then we headed back.  That’s about 12 railcars worth of walking.  It was nice to just stretch out.  Other than that, there were stops along the way.  Most were 2-3 minutes.  Just enough for people to get off and on, but the half way point was a 12 minute stop. Kiddo and I got off and took a stroll outside for a few minutes.  Another perk.  Not being trapped in a tube for X amount of time.  

Once we got to Zhangjiajie, (Zsha-Ang-Jah-Jee) we got a car and headed up a mountain to the resort we had booked.  The view from our balcony was great.  The amenities were great.  The staff had decent English.  Breakfast was provided each morning.  Meals were reasonably priced, but there were also a number of places that were less than a half km to walk.  About 5 minutes.  We also found a little market so we could get treats and ice cream and then entrance to the National Forest we 1.1km away, so once we knew that, we could walk there and back for visits since the tickets we purchased were good for 4 days.  It was around $50 per person, a little less for kids under 12, so Kiddo qualified.  It was the same for the train.  Kids under 12 are reduced fare.  I can’t tell you how much we appreciate that little perk.  We did the tourist stuff of taking the sky tram, but we skipped the mountain peak elevator as is was overly crowded and 37 degrees the day we did those things.  Too hot to stand in queue for something like that.  

We walked the trails a few days, but the big trek was on our third day.  We went to the Jumping Fish Pond.  It’s so named because fish, in the spring floods, will jump out of the water for insects or (as their color mirrors the leaves that fall at that time of year) confuse predators and attract mates with jumping abilities.  Nature is COOL!

It was sprinkling that day and as we set out and got to the bus that took us to the trailhead we took, the rain picked up.  We were under tree cover, so we didn’t care much.  Besides, we can get a little wet.  It wasn’t a lightening storm or the like, just an early summer rain, so we trekked about.  It was delightful and helped kill the crowds a bit.  We went off path a few times to get to the water’s edge on the stream that ran thru the area.  When it quickened and widened, we kept to the path, but it was super cool to see the misty water getting pattered by the raindrops.

Plus, there were monkeys.  We aren’t sure the type and we did our best to give them wide berth.  Others were more daring, but rabies or a monkey bite is not high on my to-do list, so most of the shots were taken with my zoom.  A few times we saw a small group or family near the path or up in the trees just off the path, but we kept an eye on them and hurried past.  Even Kiddo was cautious and respectful.  She did awwww a few times when we saw some babies, but again, she was respectful and looked with her eyes, never getting closer than 10-15m.

The sky tram was something else.  Our ears popped with the elevation change.  It was an impressive feat of engineerings, but also stunning in it’s views.  Pictures don’t do it justice.  At all.  Not even 1%.  Yeah, it’s 99% better in person.  Just incredible.  Again, nature is COOL!  We lingered at the top before heading down, as the temps were much lower.  We didn’t have eyes on or a thermometer available to quantify it, but we all guessed it was a good 3-4 degrees (about 10 degrees F) cooler.  Also, some of the humidity was gone.  Plus, the views were stunning.  J and I had a coke and Kiddo had an ice cream and we just took it in and enjoyed the cool temps and reasonable humidity.

Just before we left for our trip, I saw that Fraggle Rock, the same Fraggle Rock I grew up on, was on Apple TV as Kiddo wanted to give one or two a try.  She’s loving it and so that is our Kiddo before bedtime show these days.  We had the lapper with us in Zhangjiajie, so we could still access that and we just all laid in bed at night and watched a Fraggle Rock with Kiddo before she went to bed.  J and I then watched a movie with the AirPods shared and had a ball.  Besides that, after day after day of hiking, walking, swimming, etc. we were beat and her and I usually shut life down around 10pm.  We’d read for about 15 minutes and then fall into sleep.   The one downside is the mattress was rock hard.  We all can’t wait to get back to our own beds, but we’ll miss the nature and the pool and the hanging out.

It was a great time.  I’ve thanked J about 100 times for finding this, for getting the rec from her new friend and colleague Lou, and for booking it.  It was one of those experiences that will stick with me.  The views will never be forgotten.  It was great.

As much as I’d like to post this, it will sit on the computer until tomorrow or the next, as I am NOT paying what they want for train internet, which is close to $15 for an hour access.  With the speeds promised, it would take most of an hour to upload and post.  So, as much as I would like to upload this in real time on the train, it will wait.

Let’s go, Kiddo…. You saw something most people won’t.  You saw nature in a unique way, in a part of the world most will never get to go.  You went on a high speed train.  You had experiences that most of your peers never will, especially as you get older and branch out in life and experiences.  You have done something that no one else in our small group of close friends and family will never do or see.  You touched water so clean and pure you commented that you’ve never seen water so clear, so blue, and so beautiful.  You threw a rock into the middle of a stream that may have never been touched by a human before and may never be touched again.  There isn’t a price you can put on that.  Mumma and I gave you an experience we once dreamed of, long ago seeing Zhangjiajie on an AppleTV Screen saver, and now, here we are, on the train heading home from that.  We were able to give you a dream come to life and can’t wait to give you more.  We love your awe and wonder at it, your willingness to drink it in, and your want for the adventure and experiences of it.