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Trip to yellow mountain – Huangshan Hot Springs

Trip to yellow mountain – Huangshan Hot Springs

You’ll find the Huangshan Hot Springs a short ride down from the west entrance to the park.

Buy a ticket on the bus for 8 yuan. Alternatively , walk down , it’s 1.5km and signposted.
I’d done enough walking for the day.°

Hot Springs Roman Bath
Hot Springs Roman Bath

Best Western – Huangshan Hot Springs

These springs are run by Best Western. A hotel chain that Franchises residences worldwide.
They aren’t the best hotels, but they do have a good general standard. Some of them are in unusual locations, like this one, and the quality is generally good.

There were a selection of 8 different pools, all fed from the natural hot springs at the foot of the mountains. Each spring had a different property introduced by the owner. There was —

Citrus Spring – Infused with lemon and other citrus. The spring was said to introduce the natural vitamin C through the skin. 38°C

Tea Spring – Infused with green tea. Didn’t see any leaves. Felt like a normal spring. Said to aid the dissolution of anti-oxidants in the skin. 40°C.

Sand bath – Basically, pebbles of sand in a deep pool of hot, sulphourus spring water.

Fish Spring – Filled with tiny living fishies. The fishies come up and eat your dead skin. You have to be careful as not to stand on the little blighters when you get in. Tickles at first. This was definitely fun, and something I’ve not seen before. 40°C

Hot Springs Fish Pool
Hot Springs Fish Pool

Hot Spring – Just a normal hot spring. 40°C.

Monkey Spring – Hot with a large monkey pouring out water on the Chinese below… Hot 40+°C.

Roman Spring – In a Roman style. Large and opulent. 38°C

Roman Bath – In a circular ‘bath’ style. 30+°C

As well as the facilities which included a steam room and sauna, (my favorite).

Came out of here feeling a lot better for my soak. Took the taxi down to town which cost another 20 yuan.

Comes well recommended if you happen to be up that way.

Nice.

Trip to Yellow Mountain – Preparing for your trip and getting up the mountain

Trip to Yellow Mountain – Preparing for your trip and getting up the mountain

So…..

This is a journey in several stages.

1) Haul yourself out of bed at 3am.
2) Haul your ass down to the transit interchange. (Almost directly opposite the KFC and NEXT TO THE SINOPEC).
3) Queue for a ticket to catch the bus . You will need to catch a bus into the park this is the only way.

image
“You buy ticket to wicket?!!?”

 

4) Arrive at the park and buy a ticket for the MOUNTAIN and the CABLE CAR , to reach the Goose peak plateau for sunrise.
5) Prepare for some walking…

I walked around most of the sights, but the signs aren’t that good.

Take your own food and water. You’ll be paying out of the nose for these.

Mount Sinai

Mount Sinai

KML 28.539 33.975

Background

Also known as Mount Horeb. It was here Moses witnessed the burning bush whilst tending Joseph’s flocks. ‘The bush burned but was not consumed’ is the common theme. There are different versions.

Sinai derives from the Semitic, Sin or ‘Sun God’ OR sin-ah, meaning hatred referring to the Jealousy people felt against the Jews. I’ve been to many places where the sun rises, and this isn’t the greatest amongst them.

Definitely a place for reflection.

Moses received the ten commandments here.

Ascent

Mount Sinai is a journey reachable from St. Katherine (town). Where there are a few hotels.

They say that Mount Sinai is best viewed at dawn, when one can wonder at the true spectacle of this desert mountain landscape and the beauty of it all etc. etc.
The truth is, if you attempted in the day, you would suffer heat-stroke, exhaustion or both.

This is a 2 hour, 3 mile jaunt ascent of roughly 1500ft along dusty track followed by steps which last for 700 steps.

Expect to be fit or fast if you want to get there at dawn.

Here are the rewards.

mount sinai @ dawn
mount Sinai at dawn

sinia highest point
chapel at mount Sinai

Descent
Took the descent down the 7,000 step route.

This is the original, steep route, and the one we hear so much about. You will know you are on the right track as you pass through 2 arches.

It descends from the mountain taking in 7,000 rock hewn steps, although I didn’t count them so I can’t be sure where this statistic was coming from.

One thing I can be sure of was there were no Camel trip or attractions to plunder your money on.

I enjoyed the silence and was able to reflect on how Moses must have been thinking in order to wonder up to such a wild and desolate place and what inspired people to hate the Jews so much..

mt-st-katherine_0026
rocky descent, 7000 steps

The chances of death are high. You’re on your own, in every sense. Perhaps more than anywhere else I’ve ever been. But the silence is great. Shame there are so many tourists around 🙂