Chapter 0487 – Arrival in Myitkyina
The group got into Hu Rong’s caravan and drove towards the countryside. Originally, traveling from Mandalay to Myitkyina could only be done by train, but for this distance of 600 to 700 kilometers, it was feared that it would take dozens of hours to travel by train, as the train speed in Myanmar was still stuck at the level of the fifties and sixties in the country.
So Hu Rong used his own relationship, from the Burmese military called a military helicopter.
The caravan drove directly to the outskirts of Mandalay in a military camp, surrounded by soldiers with guns, Zhuang Rui can not help but tighten the bag in his hands, where there is still a pistol, if these soldiers check out, I do not know what chaos will be caused.
Looking at the side of Peng Fei, Zhuang Rui a little calmer, this kid is old and relaxed carrying that slightly worn backpack, a face that does not care about looking around, as if the bag is not a bomb, but to go to a friend’s house to bring a candy gift in general.
Zhuang Rui is now aware of what is called a thief’s heart, before listening to people say that those who broke the law and fled, often years or even decades to eat and sleep, that Zhuang Rui still do not believe, now he is experienced. Although he did not commit anything, just a gun in the bag, he began to be distracted.
Fortunately, from getting off the car to the helicopter, there has been no one proposed to check Zhuang Rui and other people’s packages, which makes Zhuang Rui greatly relieved.
Hu Rong who got on the helicopter after Zhuang Rui, was holding a fifty or sixty centimeter long wooden box in his arms, which contained Zhuang Rui’s piece of tree jadeite, which he was going to bring back home to slowly carve.
“Brother Zhuang, this is a Mi-8 type Russian made military transport helicopter, produced in the 1960s and 1970s of the last century, it’s considered an old antique, but the performance is still quite good, it can sit more than 20 people ……”
Peng Fei surveyed this transport aircraft, in Zhuang Rui’s ear whispered introduction, just when the few Burmese soldiers came up, Peng Fei immediately stopped talking.
Zhuang Rui knows, in the last century before the collapse of the former Soviet Union, in order to its global strategic position, once stationed a fleet in the seaport of Myanmar, only later the Russian economy is nervous, the fleet was withdrawn to the country, but in Myanmar is left with many military facilities with the Russian seal.
The speed of this Mi-8 military helicopter is about 300 kilometers per hour, which is not very fast, but its advantage lies in the large fuel capacity, the range is farther than ordinary helicopters, and the internal space is also very sufficient.
Hu Rong Zhuang Rui and other people plus a few people sent by the Burmese military, a total of eight people, sitting in the cabin does not appear to be crowded, and even have the space to crooked down the body to sleep on a sleep.
Only Zhuang Rui’s mind can only think about it, when the helicopter’s propeller rotates, that huge roar, shocked a few people in the cabin are red in the face, have opened their mouths to ease the discomfort of the ears, only those few Burmese soldiers and Hu Rong’s performance is still normal, as for Peng Fei, Zhuang Rui estimates that he must have been pretending.
However, Zhuang Rui and those two professors were really suffering, and it was as if their eardrums were going to be ruptured.
Zhuang Rui is not not a helicopter, but this military helicopter sound insulation is really poor, and one side of the hatch, the other side of the hatch is nowhere to be seen, see a few people are alarmed, and hastily fastened the seat belt, for fear that this helicopter tilted, will roll down.
Originally also wanted to continue chatting in the helicopter two professors. After the helicopter lifted off the ground, they also turned white and shut their mouths, and the wind outside the cabin was pouring into the cabin, not to mention speaking, even if they opened their mouths, they could fill you with a bellyful of air with the smell of the tropical rainforest.
Luckily, the winter temperature in Myanmar is above 20 degrees, otherwise the people in the cabin will be frozen into ice sticks.
Sailed away from the barracks, after about half an hour, feel adapted to some, Zhuang Rui from the cabin glass to the ground, but into the eyes of all the tall trees and dense forests, the slightest bit of scenery can not be said.
Now is Myanmar’s dry season, those tall broad-leaved trees, also seems to be a little withered, tree trunks on the leaves are very sparse, Zhuang Rui to look down below after more than ten minutes, are missing a silhouette, slightly show some desolation.
But now is also the best time to mine jadeite in Burma, because when it enters the rainy season, the road between the mountains will be very difficult to walk, not to mention people, even livestock can not pass, so now in the mining area, is the busiest time.
The mountains of Burma are not particularly treacherous, but they are continuous, one peak after another. The jungle is so dense that Zhuang Rui believes that if he were to be thrown down from here, he wouldn’t be able to get out of it for a year and a half.
Looking at the sky-high trees below the aircraft, Zhuang Rui on the Burmese social form, heart feel very incredible, Burma itself by the harbor, geographic location is very important, the inland and abound in precious stones and precious teak, but the Burmese people are so poor, the root of this I do not know from where.
After more than an hour, the helicopter slowed down, slowly parked on a hilltop, Zhuang Rui thought it was to the ground, and hastily unbuckled the seat belt, jumped down from the helicopter, who knows that the feet are soft, if not with a hand to support the ground, almost sat on the ground with a butt.
“What kind of place is this ……? It’s not Myitkyina, right?”
Zhuang Rui looked around, everywhere is a dense forest, can not help but look at Hu Rong, this northern Burma even if it is barren again, it is not possible to even a shadow of a person is missing!
“This is only half way there! The driver has to take a break, come on, old brother, drink a mouthful of water …… ” Hu Rong smiled and handed over a bottle of drink to Zhuang Rui.
Saying that the pilot needs to take a rest, it’s more appropriate to say that the helicopter needs to take a rest, because after the helicopter was stabilized, the pilot was busy, he was checking whether the various parts of the helicopter were functioning properly, you have to know that this is a thirty to forty years old antique, which can’t support a continuous voyage of a few hours.
If something goes wrong in the sky, I’m afraid that the people on the helicopter will be crushed into mush before the parachute opens. However, the quality of the military facilities produced by Polar Bear can still be trusted, at least Hu Rong has been on the helicopter many times, and nothing has ever gone wrong.
Professor Feng and Professor Chen also helped each other, walked down from the helicopter, their body bones are not as good as Zhuang Rui, this will already be pale, if not helping each other, I’m afraid that they would have fallen to the ground.
“Both of you, nothing is wrong! I’m really sorry to make you two suffer, there are also veins nearby, but we have to work a little harder to rush to Pa Dang, I don’t know if you two teachers can still hold on for a little longer?”
Hu Rong saw the two professors get off the helicopter, and hurriedly greeted them, he just thought of arriving at the Pachang area of Myitkyina quickly, but he did not think that the two of them would not be able to withstand the bumps of the helicopter.
In fact, in Burma by train, probably not as good as this helicopter, from Mandalay to Myitkyina need thirty to forty hours, and that train is the middle of the last century, the British left the “luxury special train” may be suffering from the crime than this is even greater it!
“All right, all right, can insist, really did not think, jadeite mine growth environment will be in this kind of place, hearing is false, seeing is believing ah!”
Professor Feng waved his hand, signaling that he has no problem, the beauty of the jadeite is well known, but the mining growth environment behind the jadeite. In the international are rarely mentioned, the reason lies in the Myanmar government’s closed door.
In half a century ago, Zhuang Rui’s grandfather, although he had been deep into Burma to investigate the jadeite mine, but due to special historical reasons, his conclusions did not get published, and so far is still buried in the wooden box.
The formation of jadeite geological landforms has always been a topic of discussion among domestic geologists, and now that they have the opportunity to see the geological environment in which the jadeite grows, the two professors, although tired, still have a look of excitement on their faces.
After resting for more than an hour, several people boarded the helicopter again, they just drank some water, they didn’t dare to eat anything, otherwise this bumpy ride, what they ate would be vomited out.
This flight lasted for nearly two hours, from the helicopter, one could already vaguely see people appearing on the ground, at close to five o’clock, the helicopter likewise landed in a military camp in Myitkyina, in this part of Myanmar, there are basically military forces stationed outside the city.
“Two professors, Elder Brother Zhuang, I’ll receive you tomorrow! Take a good rest today first ……”
After getting down from the helicopter, Hu Rong looked at the several people’s white faces, knowing that they wouldn’t be able to eat anything at night, and used his own car that was waiting in this military barracks to send the several people to the most luxurious hotel in Myitkyina.
Zhuang Rui looked from the car, the city of Myitkyina compared to Yangon and Mandalay, that is to be far worse, at least in those two cities, there are some modern buildings, but here, as far as the eye can see all the low wooden houses, reinforced concrete buildings are very rare.
The so-called luxury hotel, is only a three-story small building, in addition to a 21-inch bulky color TV, and then there is no electrical appliances, the water heater are not, but also the waiter to send over.
Zhuang Rui and other people are really very tired, into the room after a cool shower, all went to bed and slept.
Although Hu Rong also has a house in Myitkyina, but the roots of the Hu family in Burma are in Pachang, he also followed Zhuang Rui and others to live in the hotel today.
By the time the next morning came, two imported SUVs were parked at the entrance of the hotel.
This is Hu Rong’s private car, if you take the car provided by the military, I’m afraid it’s the old Beijing Jeep 212 made in China, once in a certain period of time, the country once supported Myanmar such a batch of jeeps.