Stuck in Avatar

I wish I could properly describe to you the laughing joy and nightmare today was, but I can't. I will do my best to convey the details of today but no one will properly understand except the 11 who survived with me.

Let's start at the beginning. 

We arrived to Zhangjiajie which is known for its Avatar Mountains. These are the mountains that inspired the movie Avatar. So we are all way pumped to see them and so excited. That night we talk with Victor, the owner of the hostel to make a plan since this park is the size of a small country. Victor sets a course and says just be careful around the monkeys. What monkeys? The trail apparently has wild monkeys all over and you need to keep food locked away because they an be aggressive. Okay, cool. 

We meet at 8:30 in the lobby and head out. 

Rain. A lot of rain. Okay but we came 6 hours on a train to be here so we are going anyway. Ponchos. 

We think oh hey because there is rain maybe there won't be so many people at the park. 

 HAHAHAHAHAHA!! Do you see ALL those umbrellas and ponchos! There were hundreds of thousands of people there. Everywhere! You could barely walk, it was like being at DisneyLand. Now the bad part of those umbrellas is the people holding them at 5 feet tall which means the umbrellas smash your face the entire time! So we begin walking and it's beautiful but so rainy we can't look up. Finally we pull over to get some food. Taylor pulls out a banana and Cierra gets some peanuts. All of a sudden Cierra starts to freak out and scream about a moneky. I immediately start to freak out because that is exactly why I came in the rain was to see these monkeys! The moneky comes right up to us and then starts to approach but we are freaking out so Taylor stops his banana and runs. The monkey sure was happy:

Then another monkey appears and comes for Cierra's peanuts which she drops. The moneky grabs the whole package, climbs a tree, and begins to eat the peanuts one by one from the package. 

Pretty soon there are monkeys everywhere. Tons of monkeys. Dozens of them. We are literally on a path with monkey families all around us. 

It was really incredible but also sad because everyone was feeding them and the monkeys are completely dependent on people. 

After our moneky encounter we continue walking and then the stairs start. Mind you it's still raining and now we are sweating. We can no longer determine the difference between moisture from the air and that from our body. The stairs never end. Okay, fine. Obviously they do but when it's pouring rain, it's 45 degrees but you are still sweating it seems like the stairs never end. 

Up, up, and up for 3,000+ steps. Three long hours later we arrived at what we came to see:

Hello Avatar mountains! These things were insane! I can't describe to you how crazy they were. We were up 400+ stories high and these mountains shoot up from the ground with nothing around them. 

Nuts right? BEAUTIFUL!

Is this not so cool!?

Next it was time to find the natural land bridge. 

After about a 15 min walk we found it along with the rest of the ten thousand people following us. 

Pictures do not do this place justice. This arch bridge was gorgeous. 

We headed to the bus next and we're ready to go back. At this point it is 2pm.

This is Melissa. This is how we all felt and looked at this point.

On the bus we go. An hour later up the windiest road of my life, enveloped in sickness, we arrive at the top of the mountain. Yes, the top. No where near the exit we need. It is now pouring rain, the map is soggy, there are tons of people in line for the bus back down. Ayer inquiring our fear came true. We had to wait in line and get back on the bus. Okay. We stand in the pouring rain in puddles of vomit, half eaten food and trash. My poncho at this point has a rip down the whole shoulder so rain runs off my hood down my shoulder and onto my coat. Then soaks through my coat onto my shirt below. We are cold, sick, and cranky. Finally it's our turn on this bus. The bus begins and a bit later is at a stop. Somewhere. We have no idea. Someone on the bus tells us to go with them so back into the rain and back into line. This time we see a purple bus! A purple bus is what took us from the entrance, it's what we need! When it pulls up a madhouse happens! Eveyone starts running, showing, pushing to get on this bus. We don't make it. Another bus comes and this time we make it. 

30 min later we arrive, somewhere. It's an exit but not our exit. At this point our map is soaked and falling apart. 

These people and the cops try and help us. There is an option of a taxi that will take us to our town 60 away and coat 500Y. No. Okay so we jump on the bus and guess where the bus takes us!? Right back to the very first spot we got on the bus, next to the land bridge. The one we got on at 2pm. Yeah. Now it's 5:20pm and the bus stops at 5:30. We ask around and a guy is pointing down a mountain, we start running. We see buses but they are already done. We are told the only way off the mountain is a taxi for 1000Y or a 45y ticket down the elevator. Okay. But elevator tickets and stand in line. An hour later we are still in line! Finally someone who speaks English tells us it is 3 hours in line. Three hours! At this point we are tired, hungry, sick, cranky, soaking wet, and freezing cold. Melissafi ally says I can't take this anymore I'm taking a taxi I don't care how much it costs. Five of us, including me, immediately volunteer. Now we head back, sell our elevaor tickea back and begin negotiation. We got the taxi to 670 y and agree. But! Ligga and I need to pee so badly. We run behind a bus, people all around and drop it. 

In the taxi we go. 

An hour later we are back at that exit- the one where the cops and the people helped us. Oh. My. 

On our way out someone stops him and gives him money. Great. Pretty sure we are going to be sold into slavery. 

Fine. We keep driving. Then the taxi gets to a dark place with a lone house and stops. It stops and he motions to Ligga to get out. Everyone starts to freak. Taylor is in the middle and is about to jump over me and run away. I immediately am like hide your big bills, hide your cell phone, etc. I get my sport to use as a shank, ready to gouge his eyes out. But then it calms down and he comes back and starts to drive again. 

Next adventure. We go to pass a car, in the dark fog and a car is coming directly at us. I grab Taylor's leg and duck. Seriously I thought we were going to crash. We were going to crash but breaks squealing we come to a stop about an inch from the other car. Phew.

Driving again. Now we are in a sketch town and he stops by a bunch of dudes. This is it. We are going to get robbed. Our hearts start to race again but he returns wit a red bull. Two hours later we arrive at our hostel. Wet. Cold. Hungry. Exhausted. 

What an adventure. At this point all we can do is laugh to keep from crying.