Kangxi Grasslands Story - PART II

Well, this is the Kangxi Grasslands PART II! I know, I know - you've all been waiting with bated breath to hear how this story ends. Well, you're in for a ride! Haha. That.. That's a joke. I realize it was entirely wasted on you because, most likely, you haven't read the story yet but, trust me, in hindsight, that will be funny.

*Ahem* So, back to the point. This picks up directly where Part I left off. If you need a refresher.. I'm not giving you one. Go read the end of Part I. :D Enjoy!

After that, it was still very early (only about 10:30 or 11 a.m.) so Alex and I decided not to waste the entire day. 

We rented a dune buggy for a little over an hour.  That was awesome and almost made up for that awful horse experience.  We raced over hills, rocks, trees, flowers, brush, everything!  The air was clear and the sky was a gorgeous blue, and we were completely surrounded by mountains.  I took the chance to snag a few nice pictures.

<-- That's Alex driving the dune buggy.

Then it happened - Alex, who happened to be driving at the time, flew over an embankment ... ... and we landed in about seven inches of mud and water.  We were stuck in a marsh.  The tires did nothing but spin, digging us deeper and deeper into the mud.  So, we got out in our tennis shoes and jeans, standing in this tadpole-filled water and mud, and proceeded to drag the dune buggy (which must have weighed a hundred pounds, maybe 2) out of the mud.  We were absolutely disgustingly dirty.

And it was awesome.

This is the marsh in which we got stuck.  ---->

So we continued on our way.  About a half hour later, Alex was taking out some trees and we were riding through some thick brush when we heard an awful sound and the dune buggy sputtered to a stop.

We cut the engine to discover that the chain that connected the drive shaft to the rear wheels had come off.  So out we got, and laid under the buggy for about fifteen minutes until we discovered how to fix the chain.

Again, off we went!

... And not ten minutes later, the chain came off again.

<---This is Alex. Fixing the chain.

Seeing that this was going to happen until we got back to the dirt road, I told Alex we just had to push it the 75 feet (or so) back to the road.  So, with Alex in front pulling and steering, and me behind pushing with all of my might (and us switching and taking turns), we moved it back to the dirt road. 

After that, we steered clear of any thick underbrush and finished our time in the dune buggy.  Then, we caught a bus back to Beijing, and had dinner at 5 p.m. after having nothing to eat since 7 a.m.

In that regard, it was a fun day.  The dune buggy was definitely the best experience I've had so far in Beijing, even with the dragging and pushing.  Which, in truth, added to the experience.  My shoes are still muddy.

Ah, memory building.  At least I have a great story to tell now! 

Well, that's it. The almost-famous story of the Kangxi Grasslands. Hope you enjoyed this issue! Actually, what I really hope is that someone, somewhere is actually reading this blog. But, in the mean time, it gives me something to do and a place to record my memories and stories.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR OF THE RABBIT, BY THE WAY!!!

- Liz