Fire Mountain = volcano
Coursework almost complete for 21 July deadline and I'm in a 'soft seat' 6hr20min train back fom volcanos of Wudalianque in NW.
(my temple motto - 'I am good enough' means I can go away and have fun even if it means possibly getting 5% less! Also less time to worry about work and just get on with it... good theory).
My traveling companions are Malaysian acupuncturists. Pie (who graduated 3 yrs ago and has been invaluable translating for me in oncology clinic) and friend have published amongst others a bilingual book of medicinal plants of Malaysia (see pic). Can't believe I'm on holiday with someone who takes more flower pics than mum! His excuse is that it's for medicinal purposes!
It was a much-needed return to nature and felt my soul come alive as I hiked up a volcano - even if I was on a Chinese tour with the guide singing karaoke to get us up the mt quicker!!!
Just as we got on the tour bus and off the train from Harbin to Beian yesterday the heavens opened but luckily we had a sunny eve for the first excursion to the ice cave and lava sea.
The famous Wudalianque (5 lakes that
were once a river which got pooled by the last eruption in 1723?) is famed for it's spring water which is surprisingly sweet and subtly sparkling. Then our group got marooned by a thunderstorm but I persisted and this other lady joined me and were rewarded with a soaking and a view of the moody lake - free of the herd.
This morning we were out at 6.20am, breakfasted and hiking up Heilongshan - black dragon mountain. It's only 526m but somehow reminded me of hiking Switzerland a few summers ago - maybe I've got a natural beauty deficit after big smog city life!
It was an even lovelier trip than expected but I'm looking forward to my student hall room 403 and my routine of 4.40 alarm for 5am taiji, clinic, lunch, power nap with TENS or cups or needles, study, dinner and twilight taiji. Outside this there's the weekly uni taiji class where I'm now solo as all my classmates hv now left apart from Guye who returns to Guangzhou in a week. So after essays are in I'll be back to 2 swims a week and more cycle rides to parks to amuse myself.
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