So an eventful day in the gorge yesterday, totally mind blowing is all I can say. I got dropped of at Tinas guest house which is the middle part of the gorge. Opted to hike back the way the bus had bought me and found that I was the only person doing it this way oh well good to be different I feel. So up hill it was for a good hour and then it flattened out for a good couple of hours. The views were outstanding and left me speechless at points, terrain was dodgy but no falls and all in one piece I am pleased to say. So along the way I found the halfway house where I stopped for my one pound lunch of fried rice and water. The toilet was a treat as it was a view of the gorge and totally peeing with nature and looking at the gorge, awesome. So I continue with my journey through the mountains, through a waterfall and then stumble across the tea house nowhere as near as good as the halfway house but cool.
My journey seemed endless but the scenery made me forget, small temple on the side of the mountain was a good stop of point for a chill. Anyway the climbing starts again and I have already hiked for 4 hours but I still have to go up until I eventually reach the so called 24 bends which I reckon us about 30 really. Little stalls on the way down, my fav was having to pay 8 rmb for the privilege of taking a photo of a stunning view with my own camera. So next stop was a lady asking if I would like water, chocolate,a horse,a car I answered no to all of these and then she finally said how about some weed, its the best on the mountain, said no to this also.
Anyway made it back down safe and sound to the main road where I had a hitch with this little man who then stopped the bus for me in the middle of the road to get back to lijiang. 40kms and stiff as sin for sitting on a coach for 2 hours.