The boys worked together without any squabbling about why aren’t you Shantou Vacations doing the same as me?’ They worked as a team and indeed needed no discussion Shantou Vacations because they used a standard type of features. I wondered why the temples are being restored; it must have been a Party decision, but the logic eluded me. Perhaps they genuinely wish to encourage Buddhism, or tourists? Though China has other more accessible Sacred Mountains. Up and up we climbed, through fir-clad woodlands, with rhododendron bushes in white blossom and occasional views over the mountains and plains that we had crossed the previous day. While Hanneke had a rest to try to get acclimatised I scrambled around and had not gone very far along an overgrown path when I spotted the wall-foundations of more ruined temples, located below a magnificent cliff on a mountain shoulder. Old beams and timbers charred black informed me that the place had been burned down then smashed up; smashed up so thoroughly that I was surprised by the amount of violence that must have been used.
We had ascended to cloud level and it began to drizzle with rain. I found temporary shelter in a deserted temple whose only occupant was a sculpted six-armed blue guardian. The blue was vivid indigo punctuated with red and white dots, and in his six arms he held a sword, some orbs, and a long serpent. Under his foot a demon squirmed with a pained and gasping expression, and across his chest was a string of eight plaster skulls. Much as I liked Victor and Hanneke, they always seemed to be quarrelling. Hanneke’s temper was made worse by her altitude problem and as twilight faded towards night we had to coax her up the last few yards to the summit monastery.
