12. On a Chinese tour to Jiuzhaigou National Park, Sichuan province

By Filipe Morato Gomes	Where is Jiuzhaigou?
I decided to book an excursion to Jiuzhaigou National Park in which, apart from three Israeli friends, all tourists were Chinese. Even thought the smoking and the spiting were not a problem, when we got to Jiuzhaigou the four of us had to leave the group. It was the only way we could properly appreciate beauty of the park. Tourist guides and coloured flags are definitely not for me.

I had heard beforehand stories about western travellers in long bus journeys overcrowded with Chinese passengers. Most of the times, western people described the experience as repulsive. According to these stories, Chinese men and women spitting everywhere and smoking all the time seemed to be part of the adventure, whether you'd like it or not. Something not easy to understand from a western point of view. I tried not to judge.

A view from the quiet Jiuzhaigou National Park, Sichuan province

By observing Chinese tourist on other occasions, I also knew that they do love going together in compact groups headed by a colourful flag lifted up by some travel guide's arm. Without any sort of individual initiative or a spark of personal will. Just copying the movements of the closest fellow, the photographic posing sessions in front of all the so-called attractions, copying every single step. To my eyes, a group of Chinese holiday-makers resembled the assembly-line of any manufacturing industry where, at the end, you get the same group of tourists who are happy because they had seen what someone wanted to show them. To a very exciting thought.

In spite of that I decided to join one of those Chinese tours and headed for the renowned Jiuzhaigou National Park. When I stepped onto the bus, I foresaw myself as a kind of a runaway sheep in a flock of thirty Chinese tourists and, fortunately, three Jewish companions. And we pursued our journey.

To my surprise, the alleged compulsive smokers behaved in an excellent way inside the coach. And no spitting at all. But I found out in the worst way that Chinese tours include countless stops for shopping. And that never happens spontaneously. They happen in specific places where every single bus stop, in a sort of pilgrimage to shops that wait for the arrival of those groups dying for spending money. Cheap bauble, old stuff which was nothing but new articles with an old appearance, necklaces, bracelets and rags, teas and medicinal herbs, whatever you think about can be found in these shops. Someone who is living in China has told me once that for a Chinese tourist the more you spend on your holidays the better the vacations are. Now I take it for granted.

On the second day, before a continuous up and down movement with countless bends at high altitude, another surprise. A stop to buy oxygen. It's hard to believe but in fact people stopped to buy oxygen. Small bottles containing the priceless molecule to help the ones with more difficulty to breath. I thought it was not necessary, so I did not buy it. And neither did the Israeli friends and a couple of more confident Chinese tourist. It is true that in certain parts of the way I felt, although slightly, the effects of high altitude. A slight pressure on the head, not a pain or nausea, but a slight sign that the body was trying to adapt to the change in outdoor conditions. Yet nothing abnormal, if you consider you are just four thousand metres above the sea level.

A Tibetan face in Sichuan

As soon as the bus started to descend to Jiuzhaigou Nacional Park - an UNESCO World Heritage site - and the symptoms vanished. The park was located in an autonomous province in the northwest of Sichuan, a region that is much alike the Tibetan culture. Some of the most important Tibetan communities living outside of Tibet itself can be found in the region, from Xiahé, northwards, in the province of Gansú, to Langmusi and Songpan, in Sichuan.

The excellence of the landscapes offered by alpine sceneries, crystal-clear lakes with different tones of blue at high altitude, luxurious forest as well as lovely waterfalls, everything was absolutely enchanting. Jiuzhaigou is an uncommonly peaceful place compared to what I've seen in China so far. Especially while walking along paths where I could only see the Jewish partners and nobody else. Guideless, flagless, without felling myself like a sheep in a flock. And yes, we left the group. It was the only way we had to properly appreciate the excellence of the place.

(originally written in Portuguese)

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