M-whY

It would still be more interesting than sitting in a bar all day. With this reasoning, I had Mr Song call up Ms Tao to take me out again. The day began the same as the last, along paths hugging the riverbanks and threading through old homes. Once a snake slithered across in front of us, causing Ms Tao to freak out, and in turn, eliciting unabashed guffaws from an observing villager and his ox. Other than that though, it was just as I feared. Another ordinary day in the mountains.

Until she began talking about countryside life and how things used to be.

"[In the past, people used to climb these mountains to gather firewood. I remember, when I was younger, I used to follow my mom up...]"

"[Wait, wait a minute. You mean people can actually climb these? You've done it yourself? I don't believe it.]"

"[Of course I have. Why would I lie to you? Most people here have done it at some point in their lives.]"

I brought my bike to a stop. A wild idea had crept into my head...

"[I don't want to go any further. I want to climb a mountain.]"

She turned around to see if I was serious, and seeing that I was, smiled. "[Okay, which one?]"

I decided on this curiously shaped crag, and we wheeled our bikes behind some bushes, out of sight from the 'main road'. A testament to how spontaneous this was, I didn't even have proper footwear. Only a pair of open sole flip flops. By some stroke of luck, I had packed long pants in my daypack, but had nothing to prevent thorns from scratching chinese characters on my forearms. Unlike the Moon Hill ascent, there were no steps, no well marked trail. It was probably the most adventurous endeavor I've taken up to date.

"Had I known you were going to want to climb, I would've brought a blade," she laughed from above me.

All the same, we pushed forward, clambering over rocks and trampling the shrubs. We took several breaks, after all, what's the point of it all if you don't enjoy the view? Ms Tao was obviously experienced, easily outpacing me. "Dont rush, take your time," she kept advising. "Are you sure you can handle it?"

"If you can, I can," I'd respond. It was my suggestion anyways, and I had too much pride to give up after getting started.

We conceivably could've made it to the top if we had more time. If we had more time, my boots, some gloves, packed more water, and brought a knife, I should say. About two thirds of the way up, the growth became too dense, and progress too slow, to continue. On a rocky outcrop, we rested, looking out at the land before us.

"[The higher up you go, the better firewood you get,]" explained Ms Tao. "[Before, the men would make it an annual event to head into the mountains. For two weeks to a month, they'd move from peak to peak, in search of the best firewood. Sleeping, eating, everything was done up here. Nowadays, with gas heaters and stoves, not as many people have to come up here, but for poorer families, it's still how they cook their meals.]"

Going down looked scarier than going up, however, we managed it without a hitch. "[You're pretty crazy to have taken a tourist climbing,]" I remarked after we had returned to our bikes.

"[Yeah, I'm a little crazy. But if I hadn't done it, you wouldn't have believed me,]" she grinned, proving she had an ego as big as mine. "[Just wait til I tell the folks back home about this.]"

Back in town, we had just enough time for a late lunch before I needed to head off.

"[I'm really sorry to see you go,]" she said. "[If you were staying a few more days, there are so many more places I'd like to take you. To the Longshen rice terraces, to my aunt's home, where she grows grapefruits the size of a human head. To my village, where there are much better mountains to climb. Here's my home phone number, unlike my mobile, it'll never change. If you come back in a few weeks, or in a few years, give me a call. We'll go see all these places, not as tourist and tour guide, but as friends.]"

Damn, if I hadn't made those train reservations...

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!