May 10th 2004

Last week I went to Tianchi.... Otherwise known as Heaven Lake.... and as I discovered, it is named this for a very good reason.

I went with 2 of my colleagues (Pia and Chris) both Canadians; and some of my students and friends.

Tianchi is a majestic place.... Towering peaks capped in a permanent snowy icing against a turqoise blue lake.... Green meadows that seem to hold on, precariously perched on steep craggy outcrops then cascading down amongst pine forests, occasionally showing their yellow flowered brilliance before disappearing under a blanket of snow in a pocket of shade.

I sat for ages and just soaked up the wonder of the area. I was in love with the trip! I was also in love with the romantic notion that one day I would return there for a long stay and get away into the backcountry.

But mostly I think ..... Renae. I got to share my tent with Renae and in so doing we shared more than floor space..... No Paul, not like that!.... We both observed each other sleeping.... you learn alot about someone by the way they sleep.... both looked out for each others gear, helped each other cook, washed each other and spent time caring for each other. We talked about many things and taught each other simple things like knot tying and damper cooking.

And now I have to appreciate that it is not the time for any further development of that relationship... for she is married..... We have had a wondeful and innocently romantic holiday together with 7 other people. We have an undeniable chemistry that is obvious to everybody around us and yet strangely mysterious to both of us. One thing is very clear... I love spending time with her, just talking and learning about her culture, her ways.... her gentle calmness is refreshingand her grace has a great effect on me.

We camped at the tourist end of the Lake on the first night afer a steep hike uphill for a few hours. The lake is at 1910m above sea level. We had a cold first night. Arkin and the boys got up at 3am and went for a run to try to warm up. I don't think it worked very well. My water froze in the tube of my "camelback". In the morning I awoke to a glorious sunrise and climbed a nearby hill to do my morning routine of Stuyoga.... my own adapted exercises to get me moving in the morning. 
 
I was looking out over the lake towards the snow capped peaks that tower above 4400m, the sun having just risen enough to hit the high snow and light it up. It was bloody magnificent.....


And then the tourist hoardes arrived and we made a quick getaway. The Chinese don't seem to know how to have peace in a tourist area. They are horn happy, dirty litterbugs that swarm around clicking madly away for ten minutes then jump back on board the bus and whizz off somewhere else to destroy the serenity. No different really to most tourists, just seem to have a little less style and no clue about personal space.... that's very much a cultural thingy!

We walked around the lake to the other end, along the way meeting a Kazakh horseman and his wife.... and some other walkers in suit jackets and leather dress shoes.... they are a crack up!

At the other end of the lake Renae and I scouted out for a good campsite. Everybody was feeling a bit ordinary... tired from walking all day with very heavy packs (some of them had three bags... it looked more like school camp or moving house!). We found a beautifully sheltered spot, with a bloody great view straight up the valley to the high peaks, beside the river bed.

This was to be our home for the next few days.... I decided... and we would do day walks from there. It was the best option given that we were here for fun and not an endurance event. I had a group of inexperienced walkers that had never been in the mountians before... and I wanted them to love it!

After 7 days I say it was a complete success! They all loved it! Even Farouk.... who asked to go home early.... He is a young Muslim boy of 15 and he'd never been away from his mothers home for more than a night.... for him the concept of cooking on an open fire and eating handmade bread off a stick that was lying on the ground a few minutes before, was unheard of. If there is one thing the Uyghur Muslim people are aware of it is hygeine. They are painfully clean! We got him on his way a day earlier than the rest of us, meeting him in Urumqi when we returned. He said he didn't think he was enjoying it until he returned to the city and he wanted to be back in the mountians....

Another successful mission at increasing peoples self awareness and that of the environment!

I said I wanted to make a difference in the world.... I feel I have with seven people.... Pia and Chris are already well aware of the mountains as they are from Calgary. It was especially rewarding to see them all a few days after returning... They could barely conceal their excitement still!

Kind of gives you a warm fuzzy feeling deep down in the cockles of your heart.... maybe even deeper in the sub cockle area..... I don't know;)

Come on back soon and I'll have a photo or two added to this website. Put a face to the names, and see Tianchi for yourself..... we have the technology!

Man zuo a