The encounter with Kawagbo comes from God
Nearly twenty years ago, I arrived at Feilai Temple for the first time and stayed in the hotel with the best conditions at that time. I wanted to take a shower to get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke, but I couldn't. Carrying the thermos bottle, I made a cup of tea and sat at the window staring blankly at the mist of clouds and mountains in front of me. I hope that when the smoke smell dissipates automatically the next morning, I can see Kawagbo’s true appearance.
Since the entire Chinese and Japanese mountaineering team died in 1990, Kawagbo has become even more mysterious and sacred, making it even more desirable. So did we, but in the end God didn't give us a chance. We left Meili Snow Mountain and Feilai Temple with deep regret. On the way, a friend said: "In the future, I can open a better hotel in Feilai Temple. At least I can take a bath, and then I can see Kawagbo."
There are many stories about Meili Snow Mountain, and there is no need to go into details here. The stories on our self-driving trip must be explained clearly, otherwise how could there be such a thing as a "god gift"?
May 30, 2020, our sixth day of self-driving in Tibet. The trip was originally very easy, starting from Shangri-La Town in Daocheng, Sichuan in the morning, passing through Xiangcheng to Deqin, Yunnan, and staying at Feilai Temple. 330 kilometers, more than 8 hours of driving. The road conditions have always been very good, much better than I expected. The bumps and dust in my memory... were completely replaced by smooth and tidy asphalt roads.
After leaving Sichuan and driving along the Jinsha River, you can reach Benzilan, and then cross the Baima Snow Mountain, which is our destination. However, something unexpected happened on the way. When we arrived at a village called Shengli Village in Shangri-La, Diqing, Yunnan, a patrol car from the local transportation department stopped us: "There is a landslide ahead and it will take three days to open to traffic. Please change the route." The young man who spoke Tibetan Mandarin showed us photos and videos of the landslide ahead. A huge boulder made a deep hole in the road. It seemed that blasting would be needed to move the boulder. What’s interesting is that the place we parked is called “Victory Village”.
Due to God's interference, we traveled an extra 200 kilometers and took five and a half hours. Not to mention the first time I encountered a washboard road on this trip, I almost got lost. So when we arrived at Benzilan Town, it was already past 19 o'clock. It was getting dark, and we had to cross the Baima Snow Mountain ahead. The group members were tired, so some riders suggested changing the itinerary and staying in Benzilan tonight. The leader sticks to the original plan, and doubt and anxiety breed among the team. Because no one knows which choice is correct. At the critical moment, the group leader made the final decision: "Keep driving forward and stay at Feilai Temple as originally planned."
The weather gradually darkened as we climbed over Baima Snow Mountain, and there were gravels rolling down from time to time on the flat road. Everyone drove carefully. When the sky was completely dark, we had not yet reached the top of the mountain. After passing the Jinsha River Big Bend Observation Deck, we did not stop.
As the altitude increased, clouds of fog floated on the road. It was thin at first, but after about a quarter of an hour, thick fog appeared. There was silence in the car, everyone stared at the road ahead. The more he stared, the harder he could see. The speed of the car slowed down, the double jump lights had already been turned on, and the sounds of the vehicles seemed to be drowned out by the thick fog. There was an unspoken tension in the team. When we reached the top of the mountain, the visibility was only about 20 meters, and the team was crawling slowly. Suddenly we saw the lights of other vehicles, and immediately some riders started talking. As the altitude decreases, the fog gradually subsides and the tense atmosphere fades. About half an hour after coming down from the top of the mountain, our visibility returned to 200 meters. "Victory!" the rider shouted.
The alarm rang before dawn the next day. My first reaction was to run to the window and look at the sky. It was past 1 o'clock when I went to bed last night, and I didn't plan to get up if the weather was bad. The hotel is in very good condition. You can see the sunrise and Kawagbo from the window. Lifting the curtains, I was inspired to go to the hotel's viewing platform.
Under the gray-blue sky, Kawagbo stood quietly. White snow covers the top of the mountain, like a big white hat. From the shoulder to the waist of the mountain, long clouds wrap horizontally in front. We are all praying silently, waiting for the sun to rise, and Kawagbo seems to be waiting too.
When the gray-blue curtain of the sky becomes lighter, the caps on the top of the mountain become whiter. Slowly, some very faint orange light shone on the peak, and the sky became brighter. Then a golden triangle appeared, like the top of a pyramid in the sun. Soon, the entire top of the mountain was covered with golden yellow, bright at first, then deep and warm. When the golden yellow faded again, the clouds were also covered with scarlet color. The clouds surrounding the mountain shoulders turned into a thinner and softer ribbon, and at the foot of the mountain, clouds gathered in a thick mass.
"The sunshine on Jinshan Mountain is so beautiful!" "We are so lucky!" "It's so breathtakingly beautiful!" "..." the riders kept whispering and exclaiming.
At this time, you should understand the extremely excited mood of all our riders, right? When we chose to go according to the original plan last night, we never expected that we would encounter Rizhao Jinshan today! When you encounter such beautiful scenery, can you say that it is not a gift from God?
Welcome fellow riders to leave me a message below and let’s interact and communicate together!
