This Travel Log was written by Teo Zi Cheng who was the Trip leader during an O-Adventure Trip to the Shangri-La and Jiu Zhai Gou in China during the NUS Summer Holidays in 2010.
13 of us embarked on a 14 day adventure in the beautiful province of Sichuan in China. Strangers when we first started, we became good friends by the end of the trip, bringing with us memories and friendships that will last us a lifetime.
Arriving at Chengdu, Sichuan
It all started on the 8th of May, being on exchange in Shanghai Jiao Tong University, I flew in with Zhi Qin (my room-mate) and met Tan Zi, the trip leader at Sichuan’s Airport at 1400. The participants arrived subsequently and we were ferried to Wen Jun Lodge where we checked in and allocated the rooms to the participants. Our first dinner together was at a restaurant nearby and we had a taste of the famous Sichuan numbing and spicy cuisines. The best part of it, it was only about 2SGD per person despite the number of dishes we ordered.
Setting off for Jiu Zai Gou
The next day, we were to set off for the famous Jiu Zai Gou. However, as it was near the 3rd Year Anniversary of the 2008 Wen Chuan Earthquake, China’s Premier Wen Jia Bao was in the vicinity to inspect the reconstruction efforts. We might encounter road closures if we were to leave too late, and eventually we decided to leave at 5am and have our breakfast on the bus. Our participants were understanding of the situation.
The next day morning, we set off for Jiu Zai Gou, reaching the place at 1-2pm that afternoon. We checked in to our hotel and allowed our team to have their own free time to rest before meeting for dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. That night, we got to know each other better, thanks to ice-breaking games like Polar Bear and Saboteur.Maureen and Su are friends since their Ajc times. Su’s dad came too, and we affectionately calls him Mr Aw. Britta is an Exchange Student from Sweden, Sabrina is Tan Zi’s undergraduate course mate while Xue Ting is a year 1 student, PR from China, Hubei. Desiree, also from NUS, was with her Auntie Florence and Uncle Klaus, who flew in from Germany.
On the 10th of May, we started our 2 days tour of Jiu Zai Gou. We toured Jiu Zai Gou’s Rize Valley, Zechawa Valley and Shuzheng Valley. Most tour groups are only given 1 day to tour Jiu Zai Gou and this might result in rushed sightseeing with little room for bad weather. Jiu Zai Gou’s altitude averaged around 3000m.The high altitude coupled with the exposure to the elements can adversely affect our participants so it’s best to have an itinerary that is more forgiving for the first few days.
Some of our participants started to experience mild diarrhoea symptoms, but were able to rest and recover with the rest time they get. It was really heartening to see the team, which barely knew each other , offering medicines or massages to those who were sick. It rained in the early morning of the 11th. We had the luxury to wait for the rain to stop before starting the day’s sightseeing at 10am due to our planning.
Returning back to Chengdu
We left for Chengdu on the 12th, and on the 13th, we started the day with a visit to the Panda Conservation Park. Everyone unanimously voted to see the Pandas and it was drizzling when we reached the park. Initially worried, it turned out to be a good thing as Pandas are more active in cooler weather. We were captivated by it and some of us got the Panda soft toy before we left (my advice: buy outside, it’s cheaper!)
Later in the day, we went to Jin Li Ancient Street. Just opposite this tourist attractionwere a row of outdoor shops. As Dao Cheng Town and Ya Ding Village are of higher altitude, the gear that our participants brought was not enough. Many of them purchased fleece jacket, as it would protect them from the cold. The good thing about being in China was that the prices were more affordable (for those l ocal brands e.g. Kailas). We went for the famous Sichuan massage as well to ease all the sores and aches before returning to Wen Jun Lodge to prepare for the next part of our Journey.
Dao Cheng
On the 14th, we left for Dao Cheng, a town near to the Tibetan border. We took the 318 National Route, also known as the Southern Sichuan-Tibet Highway. We were supposed to check-in to a hotel in Kang Ding that night but due to a landslide covering a part of the road ahead, we were forced to spend the night at Lu Ding instead. Again, the participants were very cooperative and understanding when we had to check them in to a hotel at Lu Ding. Instead of going 
straight to Dao Cheng, we moved a place that we were suppose to go on our way back forward and went there the next day.
Mu Ge Cuo, Kang Ding Love Song Conservation Area, was a good break from all the stress from the landslide. We saw snow at the top of Mu Ge Cuo, and beautiful waterfalls on our way down. There was a hot spring where we could soak our feet and have an egg, cooked by the hot spring. Later 
at night, we went back to our hotel, which has a hot spring, and soaked in it. It was very shiok!
On the 16th, we started our drive to Dao Cheng. It lasted the whole day and stretched into the wee hours of the 17th of May. We were exhausted by the end of the drive and slept till the afternoon. Dao Cheng prove to be a small but attractive town. It has no traffic lights despite its streets and depends on honking to prevent accidents. Walking along its streets, it is easy to fall in love with it, for it is unique for its Tibetan culture and quaint feeling. We set of for Ya Ding village and reached Ya Ding village before the sunset.
Ya Ding
It was at Ya Ding where most of the team saw their first Snow-capped mountain and it was easy to sense their excitement. For Tibetan Buddhism, that was their equivalent of the statue of the Goddess of Mercy. Our guide was very knowledgeable and continued to provide us with relevant information along the way.
To our dismay, when we reached the accommodation, we discovered that no showering facilities are available at the lodge, and the toilets were basically 3 holes created by planks! Personally, I was afraid of how our pa
rticipants would react. They have been understanding so far, but could this be the straw that breaks the camel’s back? The good thing was that almost all participants took it in their stride and accepted the conditions.
The next day, on the 18th, we went to ascend the peak at Ya Ding Village. Of the 13 of us, 3 planned to do so on foot while the others chose to spend 300yuan to hire a horse to ferry them to and fro. However, due to the limited n umber of horses, in the end, there were 5 of us who ascended the peak on foot. It was a great achievement and we felt very good. The view was fantastic; at one point, we could see three snow peaks at the same time. The splitting of the team was possible as we managed to plan it such that both groups will still be back at a meeting point at the same time. On the 19th, we packed up and things and started our journey back to Chengdu. That night, we stayed over at Dao Cheng before staying one more night at Xin Du Bridge.
Chengdu and time to shop!
On the 21st, we reached Chengdu around 5pm. After a round of massage and finally the famous Sichuan hotpot, the participants slept late that night to make the most out of the time that they have together. 22nd was spent shopping for souvenirs and clothes before the bus came and brought them to Sichuan International Airport for their flight back to Singapore.
