A quick trip - Part 1 of Henan trip

Qiqi

No one would have thought that the trip of the three of us would be so hasty and determined.

It was a spur-of-the-moment idea without detailed planning. Just leave.

We drove westward along the Lianhuo Expressway, arriving at Yuntai Mountain and returning to Zhengzhou via Kaifeng to Lankao. Along the way, we experienced both natural landscapes and humanistic sentiments; there were both government offices and national museums; Witness the bustling commercial streets of the commercial capital day and night, and also witness the dazzling elegance of the last bay of the Yellow River in a corner. There is a moment of comfort sitting quietly in the Yongwei Wood Color CITIC Bookstore, and there is the leisurely fun of riding a bicycle through Kaifeng Mansion; I am moved by the passion of Bao Zheng, a good official in the Northern Song Dynasty, who cares about the people, and I am also "spelled out" by Jiao Yulu, a good cadre of the country. The sentiment of "I have worked hard and determined to change the face of Lankao"﹍﹍There are so many emotions and emotions gathered in my heart that I can't help but feel unhappy.

I really want to record this journey in words. A few years later, when time passes, when we look back on the past, we can smile knowingly and say, that year, we walked through Henan. A strange but familiar city. There are traces of our search for the distant future.

More than ten years ago, when our children were very young, we, as first-time parents, often took our children who were not familiar with the world on trips. After our son went to school, the three of us had less and less time to travel together. Then when our son went to junior high school, then high school, until he graduated from high school, we planned one trip after another, but we never got it. Either my husband is on duty for flood prevention during the flood season, or I have activities in summer training, or my son has to make up classes at school. The plan to travel together has become something that the three of us are thinking about.

On the second day after the Mid-Autumn Festival, my husband’s straw burning ban was stopped because of rain. We finally had some time, and my husband decided to take us on a self-driving trip. Considering my school work commitments in the second half of the week, my planned five-day trip to Xi'an could only be reduced to a two-and-a-half-day self-driving trip to Henan.

Let’s just leave, simply pack up, and we set off for Henan.

On October 2, at 14:00 in the afternoon, we got on the Lianhuo Expressway from the entrance of Tangdian.

The expressway is free during the festival, so there are naturally a lot of pedestrians. The vehicles whizzed by without slowing down because of the autumn rain. They were probably just like us, choosing a rainy day to travel.

The autumn rain fell intermittently all the way. The fast-moving vehicle rolled up clouds of water vapor and slammed into the windshield in front of the car. The wiper swung hard and slammed it into an unknown rural field.

At 16:20, we arrived at the Shangqiu Xiayi County section. It is estimated that there is an accident ahead, and vehicles are blocked on the road from east to west. Trucks and passenger cars, large cars and small cars, are crowded together and colorful. In the mist of the autumn rain, they are arranged in two lines, like two long dragons, with no beginning and end visible, which is quite spectacular. Some drivers and passengers were probably impatient to wait, so they got out of their cars, stretched their legs, or gathered together in groups, smoking cigarettes and talking about irrelevant things.

We also got out of the car and were silent in the rain. Looking from a distance, the fields were so misty that it was hard to tell where was the rain and where was the fog. The tallow trees on the roadside are getting brighter and brighter, with each leaf shining brightly. This bright red color can indeed relieve a lot of visual fatigue. The green leaves are so green that it pierces your eyes. This green is fresh and tender, lively and spiritual, and makes people see the full power of life. Perhaps the people who planted the trees never thought that such a combination of red and green would alleviate the embarrassment and helplessness of pedestrians in traffic jams during the autumn rainy season. The vision and realm of decision-makers are really important.

The gentleman saw from the Gaode map that there is still at least 800 meters ahead. I heard a bus driver say that this road has been blocked for two hours, and their last bus was still ahead. The rain was wrapped in the autumn wind, and it was getting colder and colder. Worried about catching a cold, we hurriedly got in the car. After about half an hour, the car in front finally started to move.

Continuing all the way west, we set off again.

When I arrived at the service area, I rested for a while. With my husband’s permission, I came to drive. Although his driving skills are not as good as his husband's, it can still help him relieve fatigue at critical moments.

I drove the car carefully and moved forward at a constant speed. There were some sections with fewer cars and wider roads. When my husband wasn't paying attention, I secretly stepped on the accelerator and enjoyed the thrill of passionate speed. The running was very exciting, and I felt like I was traveling to the West. Although he has been driving for 10 years, he still has very little high-speed driving experience. When there is a lot of traffic, I have to concentrate and don't dare to be distracted.

I don’t know how long I drove, but I was stuck on the road again for the second time. I suffered a lot. At first it was behind a truck, and there were two cars in front of it. However, the truck was dragging along, blocking the view. The two vehicles in front couldn't bear it patiently, so they simply flashed, one went left into the passing lane, and the other went right into the emergency lane. The husband repeatedly criticized the driver who swerved into the emergency lane. There was an accident ahead, but if he continued to rush forward desperately, the rescue vehicle behind him would not be able to get up. There are some rules that must be followed whether there is supervision or not. This is also the principle that the two of us have adhered to in our lives, work, and conduct over the years.

The car moved forward little by little and saw that the speed in the left lane was obviously much faster. The two local cars just now had already disappeared. I don't know where the impulse came from, just a moment ago I was despising the overtaking driver in my heart, but in the blink of an eye, I became the kind of person I strongly disliked. Seeing that the vehicle behind me was still far away, I turned the front of the car to the left. In an instant, I moved to the front left. After not walking far, I discovered that the speeds of the two lanes were actually about the same. I estimate that the place where the accident happened ahead must have been two roads passing through each other. I had begun to regret my random lane change just now. I couldn't help but follow the flow of traffic and rest for a while. Who allows him to look at the other side quickly? I remembered that a few days ago, I read Zeng Wenzheng's warning with my students, "Sit on this mountain and look at that mountain, and you will accomplish nothing." At this time, wasn't I myself experiencing "Walking this way, looking at that way, neither way is happy." ? Sometimes I think about it, people are really strange, we always find out at the end that our obsession with uncertain things is like being obsessed with illusions. I secretly rejoiced, and secretly warned myself that things should be done in a hurry, no shortcuts should be taken, and some rules should not be violated. The best way to reach a distant place may be the original path chosen in the first place.

It took about half an hour before we moved to the accident-prone area ahead. There were actually eight accident vehicles, some of which were towed to the broken-down vehicles, and some of which were waiting to be processed. The teacher said that when driving at high speed, be sure not to get close to the vehicle in front and leave enough time and space to deal with emergencies. It is estimated that these eight vehicles were traveling too fast and rear-ended them. It was a good holiday, but after something like this happened, I probably lost all my mood. Thinking of Lu You's warning saying, "What you see on paper will always be shallow, but you must do it if you know it." It seems that I have a more personal experience.

At 20:33, we transferred from G30 to G4 Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Expressway and saw the Liujiang Yellow River Bridge. Helpless, it was dark and the car was moving fast, and there was no trace of the Yellow River water at all. After leaving the G4 Expressway, we boarded the G5512 Jinxin Expressway, and the navigation prompted us to continue driving for 34 kilometers. It was already 20:47 at this time, and the plan to arrive at the destination at 21 o'clock was expected to be later. Fortunately, my husband made a reservation at the hotel.

Leaving G5512 at 21:06, we headed to S87 - direction of Xiuwu Yuntai Mountain. We didn’t see many cars along the way, only our car was speeding along the dark road like an elf. Exit the Yuntaishan toll station and enter the provincial highway.

At 21:50, we arrived at Thank Inn Chain Hotel, checked in, and entered the room, only to find that the accommodation conditions were not what we expected. Once you have come, make peace with it. There is nothing to worry about. Health and safety are the most important thing. After putting down our luggage, we went to a noodle restaurant and ordered three bowls of beef noodles. Wide noodles, good taste, and reasonably priced. It seems unjustifiable that the scenic service area does not allow people to make money. I bought some daily necessities at a nearby commercial street supermarket. Back at the hotel, they and I shared a bed, and I couldn't help but feel happy.

Going to Yuntai Mountain has always been on my mind. Many years ago, I saw the photos my friend took of Yuntai Mountain and became fascinated by it. The mountains are green, the water is beautiful, the rocks are beautiful, and the cliffs are high. I have imagined countless red rock peaks, layer upon layer, and high cliffs.

I also dream that one day I can truly see with my own eyes the Dogwood Peak where the great poet Wang Wei once recited, "Everywhere you plant dogwood trees, there is one less person left." Over time, Yuntai Mountain has become our family dream.

Having free time this time, Yuntai Mountain became our first stop.

October 3rd, half past six in the morning. The husband got up early, washed up, and went to explore outside to find food. My son and I moved to a new place and didn't sleep well either. After being urged again and again, we went downstairs, checked out, and loaded our luggage into the car. After meeting up with my husband, we walked a long way and went straight into a shop with a clean facade.

At 7:30, after breakfast, we took the bus to Yuntai Mountain Scenic Area.

I just got on the bus and didn’t have time to look at the street signs next to the station. When we first arrived, we didn’t know exactly where to go first. The husband blamed his son for not doing the strategy well. The son was not convinced and said he had researched it online. At this time, the tour guide on the car reminded that you need to get off at the Phoenix Plank Road. We didn't know whether we should get out of the car or not. A tourist sitting next to us told us that if you don’t take the ropeway, you don’t have to get off the car. After a while, the tour guide reminded again that if you need to go to Hongshi Gorge, please get off the car. Yes, we will go to Hongshi Gorge.

Looking back now, the place where we got off the bus should be halfway up the mountain, because the difference between the Hongshi Gorge we were going to and the place where we got off the bus was dozens of meters, maybe more. We walked all the way down the steps and looked around. The forest almost covered the entire mountain. Various trees shaded each other, some growing from the bottom of the stone and some growing halfway up the mountain. The biggest feeling is that this place looks like a virgin forest, but the trees are not tall and there are not many old trees. Perhaps this is the characteristic of primary secondary forest.

It is said that "it is easier to go up the mountain than it is to go down the mountain". That is because I have experienced the difficulty of walking up the mountain. Now, as we walked downhill, we thought, how comfortable it is now, how difficult it will be to go back. Following the flow of people, we entered the foot of the Hongshixia Scenic Area in a short while.

"Hongshixia is a zigzag canyon formed over 2.6 million years ago by surface water cutting down two sets of fissures in the purple-red quartz sandstone. It is about 2 kilometers long and several meters to several meters wide. Ten meters, more than 60 meters deep, the canyon has red rocks and clear water, and it feels like spring all year round." Seeing the introductory text on the stone tablet, my heart became much brighter.

We started from the foot of the mountain and walked up the scenic stone steps built on the left bank of the canyon. As far as the eye can see, apart from people, there are red rocks on both sides of the bank and emerald-like water underfoot. Stroking the rocks and feeling the texture of the rocks from 3.4 billion years ago, a sense of awe arises spontaneously. It is smooth and crystal clear, hard in texture, and the layers of rocks seem to tell its long history. On a stone wall, geologists inferred from the beautifully textured red rocks that this was once a beach relic 1.2 billion years ago. The intertwined textures, ripple marks, and mud cracks in the rocks, every stroke, every place, are... People of the world open their minds and wait for future generations’ interpretation. These stones are alive, they do not surrender to nature and stand with dignity. Facing the frost, rain, wind and sun of nature, it still maintains its hardness and height. Unlike the stones in other places, some are weathered to the point of being soft. They are like stones standing and lying down, complete, hard and beautiful.

Many small white flowers grew in the cracks in the rocks on the opposite cliff. They are in groups, some rely on the rare soil layer between the stones, and some grow directly in the stones, which makes people marvel and admire. The teacher said that those who can grow here are strong. Perhaps the perseverance of life can influence each other. No one knows how many years the stones and vegetation have been together. But I know that their roots grow together.

Walk along the stone platform and pass through several bridges. Because the viewing points are built in the zigzag shape of the canyon, some of them are carved out of stone. From the left bank to the right bank, there is a solid stone bridge; from the right bank to the left bank, there is a simple suspended bridge. Walking up, swaying, startling the water under the bridge, dodging naughtily and dodging back again, it's also a lot of fun.

I like water. It was the first time in my life that I had seen such green water.

I remember when I was a child, I recited the text "Guilin Landscapes". The text said: "The water in the Lijiang River is so quiet, so quiet that you can't feel it flowing; the water in the Lijiang River is so clear, so clear that you can see the sand on the bottom of the river. Stone; the water of the Lijiang River is so green, as green as a piece of flawless jade." At that time, I was thinking that I could go and see the water of the Lijiang River. But now, isn't the water in front of me like this? The mountains are decorated with water, and the water reflects the mountains. Walking in the mountains is like walking in a painting.

The water in the Red Canyon is a piece of spiritual jade, a gentle woman, and a vivid painting. Maybe you will never encounter water like this again anywhere!

There are two roads back, one is smooth and smooth, and the other is bumpy. My son chose the latter, and we agreed to follow suit. There are many people on the road, and it seems that everyone is more willing to challenge the unknown road. Reminding me of the poem by American poet Robert Frost, it seems more appropriate:

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and it's a pity that I couldn't both go there at the same time. I stood there for a long time, and I I looked towards one road until it disappeared into the depths of the jungle, but I chose another road, which was covered with lush grass and very quiet, making it more attractive and beautiful. "We often encounter this road. to more beautiful scenery. Sure enough, we bumped into each other unexpectedly.

Whether it is natural or man-made, waterfalls suddenly appeared in front of us on the right. Water pours out from the top of the cliff. Where the mountain is gentle, the water flows quietly against the stone surface. The rocks were steep, and the water rushed down angrily. It smashed into pieces on the stone walls one by one, and then crashed down again. They are like a relay race and a protracted battle, which reminds people of the spectacular Hukou Falls. If the water here is wide enough and big enough, this waterfall should also be a beautiful scenery in Hongshi Gorge. .

After climbing up a straight iron chain, we came to a gentle place. Underfoot is a river bed formed by the impact of quicksand, twisted stones, and pitted cuts, which is heart-wrenching to see. Everyone stopped to take photos and take group photos. After leaving the Wisteria Corridor and passing the reservoir dam, we arrived at the transfer station at Zifang Lake.

Turning around and looking back, the breathtaking red stone canyon, which comes from the layers of rocks created by nature’s ingenuity, has been completely obscured by the green mountains. This is probably another wonder of nature. There is a classic line in "2012": "In front of nature, we are all small; in front of the huge natural destructive power, we are powerless." Therefore, we always have a grateful and awe-inspiring heart. Don't be blindly arrogant.

Zhuyu Peak is our second stop.

Zhuyu Peak, commonly known as Xiaobeiding, is 1,308 meters above sea level and has more than 1,700 steps. It is said that Wang Wei, the great poet of that time, wrote his famous poems in memory of Shandong brothers at the foot of the mountain. There is Yaowang Cave on the waist of Zhuyu Peak, which is said to be the place where Sun Simiao, the king of medicine in the Tang Dynasty, collected herbs and made elixirs.

At 9:30, we took the bus to Zhuyu Peak at the Zifanghu Station. The driver told us that the journey is 10 kilometers and takes about 20 minutes. After traveling all the way, my legs became really soft. As soon as I got in the car, I quietly closed my eyes and rested my mind. But where can I stop? The tourists sitting by the window were screaming, seeing the clouds wrapping around the mountains, exclaiming and taking pictures. As the car drove into the cave, I exclaimed that the cave was dark and long. There was really no choice but to stare out of the car window at the scenery passing by.

The radio in the car came intermittently with announcements. Going to Zhuyu Peak, you need to pass through about 14 tunnels. Each tunnel has its own unique name. You can see it after entering the tunnel entrance. . We sat in the back of the bus and couldn't see at all. I only know that as the winding mountain road goes up, the roads between tunnels in many places usually have 180-degree turns, and they are almost always going straight. The green trees in the mountains, the vast hazelnuts, and occasionally the exposed white ridges can be seen, which makes people think of the skin of the mountains in Jinan in winter in Lao She's works. The difference is that the skin of the mountains here is white.

When the vehicle enters the tunnel, it is like entering another sensory space completely. There are almost no lighting equipment on both sides, relying entirely on the lights of the bus and the small green screen in front of the car that displays the time.

When there is no car on the opposite side, it is relatively better. Once a car comes, the driver will move the car to the side. Especially when turning in the tunnel, it is actually quite worrying. Sitting in the car, I felt the vehicle on the opposite side whizzing past my ears. It is common to miss trains in tunnels like this. I secretly marveled at the driving skills and courage of the driver.

When we arrived at the parking lot and got off the car, drizzle started to fall from the sky. I wanted to buy a raincoat and bring it with me, but they both insisted not to use it. The reason was that they would not be able to wear a raincoat after climbing a mountain for a while. I believed them, scanned my ID card, and started climbing.

The steps are really steep and straight. After walking for more than a dozen times, my legs became weak. I retreated in my heart. It was my idea to go mountain climbing, but now I don’t want to go. If I say it, I’m afraid they will laugh at me. I had to endure it, walk for a while, and rest for a while. My husband saw that I really couldn't walk, so he tried to help me.

Walking such steep steps with help is more difficult than walking by yourself. Pulling him was undoubtedly dragging him down, but he still couldn't lift his legs. The mountain road is narrow and crowded, and panting can be heard everywhere. After finally reaching a platform, everyone sat down and rested. I was dizzy, felt like my head was going to explode, and my legs were weak. I really wanted to not go anywhere, but just sit and wait for them to come down the mountain.

My husband asked his son to help me carry the backpack to lighten the burden. I dragged my son and reluctantly walked up a few steps. Halfway up the climb to Zhuyu Peak, I was left halfway at the resting place of a pavilion. Because of my health, I can no longer climb. His whole body was weak, he was suffering from bouts of sweating, and he was completely exhausted. My son pulled me and my husband helped me, but my legs still didn’t want to take a step, and I had a headache and stomachache. I tried walking up several times to reach the main peak and witness with my own eyes the spectacular elevation of the small north top of Zhuyu Peak at 1,308 meters above sea level. However, I finally made a decision. Let my husband and son go up the mountain, and I will wait for them where they are. Looking at their regretful expressions, I actually felt very sad. It's just that at special moments, I really don't want to move because it consumes too much energy.

Sitting in the pavilion halfway up the mountain, watching the pedestrians coming and going, there are so many people, people going up and down the mountain to rest, replenishing energy on the way, old people, children, the whole pavilion seems extremely crowded.

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and I was cold and hungry. I simply bought a raincoat from the nearby canteen, put it on, and immediately felt much warmer. Sitting there was boring, so I bought a cup of milk tea and hot dogs and ate them while waiting for them to go down the mountain.

At 12 o'clock, my son and husband came down the mountain and saw me. They saw that I had bought a raincoat and was drinking milk tea. The husband smiled and said that he didn’t even climb the mountain, so the equipment was quite complete. I chuckled to myself.

In a small shop at the foot of the mountain, we simply had some snacks. Whenever I go to a place to eat, I usually take the seat first, and my husband and son are responsible for ordering and paying the bill. Being properly taken care of by two men, although I didn't appreciate the splendor of "being at the top of the mountain and seeing all the small mountains at a glance", I was still happy in my heart.

At 12:45, take the bus from Zhuyufeng parking lot. Through the car window, the distant mountains are like black clouds, white clouds and mist are lingering, and only the dark green mountains are left in the mountains. The clouds and mountains are floating, which is spectacular.

Come here with pleasure and return with all your pleasure. Although I missed Zhuyu Peak, I enjoyed the company along the way. The husband said that after you go back, you can only say that you came to Yuntai, but there are no mountains. My son laughed, and so did we.

Sanmao said: "Life is a journey. What is important is not the scenery along the way, but the people who accompany you to see the scenery." The mountains and rivers are one journey at a time. Being able to watch the scenery with the people you love, and the regret of missing it, isn’t it an evocative scenery?