After a six-day work week followed by a three-day youth retreat (which was AMAZING, but also quite tiring), Steve and I were ready to go on a (relaxing) adventure! So we packed our bags and headed out to Sichuan province to spend our remaining days off during the National Day holiday. We had NO idea what we were about to experience.
Like this....
Like this....
...OR this....
....or this or This or THIS or THIIISSS!!!
For three days we found ourselves exploring a mountainous playground with unexpected beauty around every corner. The colors, OH THE COLORS! It was such a stark contrast to our grey everyday lives in China that we couldn’t believe we were still in the same country.
Before I get too ahead of myself with all of this ridiculous gorgeousness, I should mention the part of the trip that actually did feel like China. Our first day away from Shanghai was devoted to PANDAS! Chengdu is a major hub for flights to Jiuzhaigou, and because it is the best place to see pandas in all of China, we decided to stay and check it out. It turns out that it was not a bad plan because pandas are pretty cool. While the less famous Red Panda will always be our favorite, going to the Panda Breeding Center really gave Steve and I an appreciation for the Giant Panda that we hadn’t had before. I mean, how could we not love those wittle panda babies :)
After our morning with the pandas, we headed out through the smog to the other big attraction in Chengdu…..the Giant Buddha. It was definitely giant, as you can see! I liked it because it reminded me of something I would see in National Geographic. Steve and I didn’t feel the need to wait in the 3 hr line to see it from the bottom (though we would have waited if it had been an epic waterfall!). We had fun exploring the buddha-park before heading back to Chengdu, where, to counteract our fully Chinese day, we enjoyed Pizza Hut and Hagen Daaz :)
Our 45 minute flight to Jiuzhaigou was probably my favorite flight ever (ok that’s not quite true, I’ve been on some cool flights). This one was different though, because it was such a quick transition from city to country, from smog to snow. The snowcapped mountains were massive and surprising. Even more surprising was the temperature the flight attendant announced when we landed….40 degrees Farenheit! Coming from high 80/low 90 temps in Shanghai, Steve and I were shocked- and as we looked at each other, our faces showed it (which we found out when the small girl laughed at us through the crack in the seat in front of us.)
After we had layered up in warmer clothes, we climbed into a van and oohed and aahed as we rode down the winding road for two hours. I almost cried at how happy I felt to be in nature again! It felt like we were returning home (well, except for all of the yaks and the Tibetan villages with colorful flags everywhere).
The town itself was unique as well. It was somehow a blend between Tibet, China and a Canadian ski resort. Wooden walkways along a clear rushing river, narrow buildings several stories high and painted with beautiful colors and Tibetan designs, and Chinese street vendors!! That night we ate at a small Sichuan restaurant and ordered our favorite dishes. We were pleased to find that the Sichuan food at our favorite restaurant in Shanghai had the same dishes as an authentic restaurant in Sichuan province (although we still like ours better :)!
Day one in the park started at 6:30am! We bundled up, hopped on a bus (with a LOT of other tourists) and headed up the mountain. The bus dropped us off at the top and we spent the rest of the day walking back down....
We found out that Jiuzhaigou has it all. For example, there are:
Mountains...
We found out that Jiuzhaigou has it all. For example, there are:
Mountains...
Forests....
Mirror lakes...
Clear rivers...
Shockingly colorful water....
Waterfalls! ...
Um, a lot of people....
Bigger waterfalls....
And a really interesting combination of fall yellows and tropical-looking aqua colored water!
So that was our first day in the park. We culminated our long walk at an authentic Tibetan restaurant, complete with free paper scarves and a waitress that will sing to you when you ask for the bill.
Here's day two in pictures. We took a different route the second day and often found ourselves alone on the path. It was quite restful and energizing!!
Jiuzhaigou turned out to be an extremely restful vacation, and one that we really needed. We were filled to the brim with clean air, peace, joy, and thankfulness- it was like pushing a re-set button that allowed us to dive back into the not-so-naturey city where God has placed us.