<A>Tengri,I'm back!---Part 1

Lonely planet

Usually, I love traveling myself, because you can decide everything by yourself, and don't need to discuss with the others. But this time, one of my friend wanted to travel with me, and also including her classmates. Totally, 8 persons! But I am sure someone will change their plans at last As plan, we will go there from 17th, and will back to Beijing on 20th. In the last coming week, day by day, persons become less and less, group become smaller and smaller, it proves my prediction. Even, one person decided that he can't go there with us at last 6 hours. Finally, only three persons left. That's nothing for me, if only me left, that will be great! And now, I have to travel with two strange girls (My friends' classmates)

We only can get three hard seat ticket which from Beijing to the city Chifeng, besides, from Beijing North Station. Has anyone been to there? In my mind, it's a very poor and old station! We met each other in there, and introduced to each other, that's a little strange. I was traveling with two “older” ladies. I sold an otiose ticket firstly, and then got on the train.

Pay for the war

The train 2559 is OK! We found our seats, and wanted to get or change hard sleeper tickets. The two girls were rich, and soft sleeper also can be accepted. When I reached the ticket office in the train, so crowded! There was a long line for waiting get the sleeper tickets. But there was only 30 tickets left. I was after 40th. OK! Hard seat wasn’t too bad to me.

I told this conditions to my partners. One girl said :”I am sure they still have tickets! You should ask the conductor!” I knew they had extra tickets, but I didn’t want to do that, hard sleeper is enough. But I have to do this for the girls, how hard to the man!

When the conductor came to our carriage, I followed and asked her whether she had ticket or not. A man followed me, also wanted to get a sleeper ticket. The conductor’s leader said only one soft sleeper left, and would left to a Japanese. They had this rule :”Foreigners priority!” I agreed with this principle, foreigners came to china for traveling from different places, and wanted to taste everything in this great country, we should let them felt comfortable in every facets.

She found the Japanese, and old man at last. When she wanted to give the ticket to the old man, the man followed the me was furibund, and cried loudly :”why do you give the ticket to Japanese? Our Chinese still haven’t the sleeper tickets!”

“We have this rule, foreigners take the priority!” the conductor said strongly.

“Gou Pi (sorry, don’t know the English expression)! You can give it to any foreigners, but can’t be Japanese!” the man was so angry.
“Do you have conscience?” the man said peremptorily.

“OK! I don’t want to quarrel with you, I don’t sell this ticket!” Then, she left.

I noticed that the old Japanese man didn’t understand Chinese, and his interpreter didn’t translate these words to him. His eyes were blankly, I was sure that he knew what happened. Chinese people still remembered the war from 1931---1945, and most Chinese still had hurt by the war, even most Chinese still hated Japanese. But the commons in Japan didn’t do anything to Chinese people, and they had no crimes. During these years, for the Japanese premier action, lead us felt so sad, including the Koreans. The governments’ problems added the pain to the citizens, and they had to pay for this for the government.

The angry man left, I still followed the conductor, and she said I can buy the ticket. But at that moment, I can’t be happy for this, the old Japanese man was still in my mind. When I got the ticket, the Japanese and his interpreter also came for this ticket.

“It sold out!” the conductor said to them, I backed to my seat, and gave the ticket to the girl. I hope the Japanese can get another one.

At last, we also got two hard sleeper tickets at 4 o’clock in the morning, and slept more than 3 hours. We got up when the train arrived the station of Chifeng.
“Sleep well?” the trainman smiled to us.
“Yes, thanks! Very well!”
We said goodbye to them, and started our trip.

The strange way to sell tickets

We went to the ticket office as soon as possible, and it was in another building near the train station. Only six windows for selling tickets. We decided to buy the return tickets in different lines. Finally, the 5th line was faster, and when my partner asked for the tickets, the conductor told her :”Only the 6th window sell Beijing ticket!” We only can be forced smile, because none of us in the 6th line, and there were lots of persons in that line and laugh at us.

You have to buy the Beijing ticket in the 6th window with your ID card, one person one ticket. We had no time to waste in there, and decided to buy the coach ticket. In china, the coach station is usually besides of the train station. We got the tickets easily, and also had the ticket to our destination---Keshiketeng. It will take 4 hours, 48RMB.

When you arrived the city Chifeng, you have entered the Mongolian world. Every brand was written by Chinese and Mongolian. I felt very closely, and I returned my “home”!

Happiness as flower

After the first dinner in the downtown of Chifeng, we got on our bus to Keshiketeng. The bus was slowly, and it stopped many times. But for us, it’s a good way to see the two sides of the road. The sky is blue, the field is wildly and flat, short Mts in the long distance. My partner were both sleepy, and they lost almost beautiful scenery. The road on the grassland was really straight, even you can’ see the end. The bus like a hawk flying in the sky, trees and fields were both behind of it. I have no directions now, where was our destination?

We arrived the town Jingpeng nearly the noon, and we rent a car as soon as possible for our trip. You know, it was really difficult or complex when you travel in the wildly grassland without cars. The driver is a Hui, and I am a Manchurian, my partners were Han, we traveled in Mongolia, really interesting. We bought enough water and some snacks for this short trip. And our route is from Jingpeng to Dalinuor, and then to redwood forest, to Ashatu, return Jingpeng to Daqing Mt.

We still ran on the straight road, and many sunflowers at the sides of us. We usually stopped when we found some interesting or wonderful scenery. Only after 10 or 15 mins, we started loitering in Gonger grassland. Gonger grassland is the name of this area, in fact, you were always in this grassland when you traveled in here. So huge and flat place. You can enjoy the beautiful wild flowers without names, and catched up with cows and sheep, looked over the large windmill……

Mongolian is a nomad, and they usually take their tent to everywhere, it depends on the grass and climate. The cows and sheep need more fresh grass. But now, it’s too difficult to find a Mongolian as nomad. They all settled down in some place, and fetched the grass for livestocks. So lucky that we found a Mongolian family, they came out for getting grass, and would stay in this areas two weeks, and we can stay in their tent, and eat with them. The hostess named Dagula, means “take a boy for her family”, her younger daughter was in her summer holiday, who was called Anuo, it’s a river’s name which from Mongolia Republic. They were very hospitable and friendly. We were so excited that we can stay with a Mongolian family. I started to image the stars in the night, and we would drink heavily, sing the Mongolian songs……

We said goodbye to Dagula, and would come back in the night. In Gonger grassland, I found a goat with four horns, really strange. We played at the side of Gonger river, and arrived our last place---Dalinuor around 4:00pm.

Dalinuor---Lake as huge as sea

In Mongolian, Dalinuor means “A lake as huge as sea”! Yes, that’s true! You can’t see the edge of this huge lake. It’s a transfer “station” of the birds who fly from Baikal to Boyang Lake in Jiangxi province. So you can overlook many kinds of birds. That fantastic!!!

We took off our socks, and into the lake, though it was a little deep, though I can’t swim. Some persons was fishing, kids was playing with water, I loved to face to the soft wind, and enjoyed the fresh air. We also tasted the famous fish called “Huazi”, not very delicious, just a common one. It was really expensive to eat in the tourist place, it cost 5yuan for one roast Huazi fish.

The lake was getting smaller and smaller every year, and the water inside was getting saltier and saltier, I think there was only Huazi fish lived in this huge lake. We leaved the lakeside, and went to a gloriette for overlooking the birds. You can’t be closely to them, and have to see them by a telescope. There were only us for looking the birds, I didn’t know the reason for no persons in there. The place was so quietly, and the sun was getting down and down. The birds were plentiful, though I didn’t know their names. They were in the lake happily and relaxed, even you didn’t want to disturb them.

The birds’ world was fabled. Some of them just returned home from catching food, lovers were kissing to each other, and tidied feather for their lover. They played games with their brothers and sisters, they catching up with the others. Besides, some birds stood lonely, someone was overlooking the sun……

I felt a little cold, and put on my jacket. We were waiting for the sunset, and enjoyed the golden word. For long distance, the sea and the sky became to one line, and we felt so close to the sun, but really far away from it. That’s fantastic! God created the world, the splendid world, you can see many different scenery in different places. When you saw the sunset on the Mt, when you saw it at the seaside, when you saw it on the grassland, those so different and amazing. The same sun, but different shadow and feeling.

When the sun disappeared from our sights, and we called Dagula to prepare our supper, then returned our Mongolian house.