Wulingyuan and Zhangjiajie, also known as Avatar National Park – Part 11

Next stop Wulingyuan and Zhangjiajie, also known as Avatar National Park as one of the most impressive peaks has been renamed Avatar. Wulingyua is a scenic and historic interest area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's noted for more than 3,000 quartzite sandstone pillars and peaks across most of the site, many over 200 metres in height, along with many ravines and gorges with attractive streams, pools and waterfalls. It features 40 caves and two natural bridges.

After some exploration I got back to find the Polish couple at the same hostel what a chance!!!
I spent the evening with them chatting about the park and their last hostel that had been very bad. However, yet again the one we were in did not have heating so it was freezing; they hide the heating remotes to save money in low season!
Got up at 6am (I used to complain about this when I was working, funny how it doesn’t feel as bad when you are away!) to a parade in the street with a brass band, fireworks the lot! Later found out that somebody had died in the fields the day before and they were going to bury him the following day! I spent the day hiking, trying to cram in as much as possible as the weather was so good. I managed to get to the top of Avatar, awesome and everything I had hoped for. As the weather began to turn I tried to negotiate yet another bus system; I got down to a worryingly quiet road, walked some way then checked with a local via a lot of sign language that I was on the correct route. The distance was such that I ended up getting my first ever hitch with some builders – then they charged me £1 when we arrived in the Builders Yard.

No more for now… places to go!!!