Stuck in Dehang

09.11.2013

I got up super early from all the sleeping and headed off for the second waterfall. I was not disappointed. Another beautiful one which was hidden because the path was slightly covered by a rockslide in one area and seemed to be closed. I had to scramble a little bit to get over the rocks but the rest of it was fine and I had the trail all to myself so early in the morning.

After a lot of steps, I got to the tourist center at the end of the trail where I assumed there would be a public bus. There wasn't, but I managed to hitch a ride with some more Chinese businessmen on a tour.

They took me to Dehang, which is not where I needed to be. I needed to find a bus to Jishou, but there was a huge bicycle race and I was stuck! I was not worried because my train, was not until about 9 p.m. but I met three Chinese backpackers who were because their train was leaving in an hour!

We ran around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to find a ride to town. It wasn't happening. There was only one road to Dehang and it was shut down for the race.

So, I bought some insanely spicy dumplings and some delicious tofu and shared it with my new friends while we watched it.

After that, we got to Jishou and they bought new tickets. Their train was also not leaving until 9 p.m. So we hung around doing nothing all day in Jishou.

Pretty much just as soon as the train left the station, I was descended upon by about three police officers. They brought me to the dining car where I was instructed to wait for something. I began to read a book and about an hour later another police officer came and sat down next to me. Then he started yelling at the waitress in the dining car. The waitress then told me to go sit somewhere else in the dining car, where I was intensely glared at by the angry policeman. I tried to ignore him and promptly fell asleep with the whole train staring at me. I have no idea what I was wanted for...When I woke up, he was gone, and I was back home.

Finally on the bus back to Jishou