We’d finally made it; after three years of trekking the globe, my mom made the decision that it was time for a little magic. A little Disney Magic. Two days ago, my mom sister and I landed in Orlando and headed for Walt Disney World, the most magical place on Earth! (I’m reminded of this fact at least 150 times a day).

Our first day was spent wandering the pavilions of the world, looking into Ellen Degeneres’s nightmare of energy, and taking the first mission to Mars. We then meandered over to the Magic Kingdom and braved the Haunted Mansion, sailed with some pirates, marveled at an extraordinary firework display with Tinkerbell, and blasted off to Tomorrowland on Space Mountain. It was a great first day. We planned to head to Animal Kingdom the next morning with an exotic trip in mind: to scale the Himalayas on Expedition Everest.

 

Animal Kingdom!

 

Welcome to Asia

 

Everest Vista

 

 

We got to the park the next morning, jazzed and ready to climb the mystical mountains. Making our way to Asia, the peaks of the towering mountains loomed ahead. Something about the area was a little spooky though, for there was a lot of screaming, and rumors of a monster.

 

Everest from Bazaar

 

Welcome Travelers...

 

 

The lane we were on took us to the small village of Anandapur, where we then made a trek to the rustic village of Serka Zong, located at the base of the Forbidden Mountain. The village had clearly seen better days. Shrines were everywhere, dedicated to the fabled creature known as, the Yeti. Warning signs littered the walls, saying one word: Beware. Something had the village frightened for life. A tour group known as Himalayan Escapes-Tours and Expeditions had claimed a few of the abandoned buildings, and run a top-rated tour, called Expedition Everest - the tour we were going on. We walked into the office, checked in, and started toward the trains that would be taking us up the mountain.

 

Shrine Center

 

Himalayan Escapes-Tours & Expeditions

We wandered through shrine after shrine for the feared Yeti. There was an eerie, weird vibe running through the halls. Yet, it was mixed with a sense of excitement, for we were about to board an old tea train bound for the summit of Everest.

 

Our Little Tea Train

 

Shrine & Me

 

More Prayer Flags

 

 

The old train station finally appeared. It was somewhat a relief to finally step inside a cool room versus the blazing sun of Asia. Inside was a small museum, filled with gear, artifacts, books, and tribal masks. I noticed things were getting weirder though, for there was an entire display of artifacts found on the slopes. The artifacts were from a 1982 expedition of Mount Everest; everything, though, was destroyed. The tent was torn to shreds, cameras, books, clothes demolished, gear ripped apart. And all the men, gone, without a trace. The only clue to what may have been the cause of the mens’ disappearance were three grainy photos of a blurry, black, hairy large something.

 

Mountain Gear

 

Remains of 1982 Expedition

 

A Clue, Perhaps?

 

Hoax, or Reality?

 

Literature on Subject

 

Yeti Museum

 

 

The hissing of the steam trains could be heard. The platform could be seen out a small door. Before leaving the museum, a cast of a massive footprint was on display. It was bit intimidating because the cast was just a few inches smaller than my sister. Was it a silly hoax a bored teen created, or was it real? I contemplated it as my family and I made our way out onto the platform.

 

Got a Size Larger by Chance?
This footprint was discovered in Serka Zong in March 2005.

 

To the Platform!

 

 

High pitched whines of whistles and hissing steam, as well as chugging wheels filled the air. Our tea train huffed its way to the platform, and waited patiently for the travelers to board. My sister and I were at the very back, right in front of the engine. With another loud whistle, it pushed off, and we started to glide down the track toward the Forbidden Mountain.

 

Train Departing

 

 

It curved around and went up a small hill. The ride was peaceful. Wind whipped through my hair as the train picked up speed. A view of a trickling waterfall and snow acted like a Welcome to the Himalayas sign. Around another bend, and we started a steep, long ascent. It gave us amazing vistas of Asia, and we could even see far off Africa. The train kept climbing higher and higher into the snowy peaks of the mountain. Excitement bubbled as our adventure was underway. The train let out another high-pitched whistle as we passed under yet another shrine dedicated to the Yeti. With that, the views of the surrounding area disappeared, and we entered the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas.

 

The train glided around another turn, and through a tunnel. It was excellent and fun until we came out of the tunnel.

 

The bridge that was supposed to be there was gone. It looked as though it had been ripped apart. The train screeched to a halt only a few inches from the hundreds of feet drop. The train hissed. Everything became quiet. Nothing moved. All the passengers were looking around, curious, yet also a bit nervous. Things were getting weirder by the moment.

 

There was a hiss, followed by an orchestra of screams. The train plunged into the darkness on a runaway course as the brakes failed. Through the mountain, the train whipped around sharp turns, flew up and down, and sped out of control. It was not the same route we ascended on, but a different one that had us traveling deeper into the mountain, and unknown to us, the lair of a beast. Suddenly, the train stopped. In front of us, there was silhouetted track. Out of nowhere, a massive beast landed on the track. The Yeti. He roared, and ripped apart the track. It splintered everywhere. The monster roared again, and took off.

 

The train blasted off forward into the sunlight, and plunged down an 80 foot drop. We raced through a bamboo forest, and then flew into the darkness of another cave. We came out on the other side, in a forest. The train raced around a series of sharp turns. As the track straightened out, the train plunged into another cave.

 

Epic 80 Foot Plunge is Epic

 

 

That’s where our fears were confirmed. There was the Yeti. He was massive, with raging red eyes, hairy arms and legs, daunting fangs, and a squished, angry face. Hanging from the side of the cave, he eyed our runaway train with a look of hungry and meanness. As the train rushed towards the beast I joined the choir of screams. He roared an awful roar, and swiped his massive paw at our train. The little tea train raced under him, escaping his rage. There was a hurriedroar, and then, light.

 

To the relief of everyone on the train, Serka Zong station came into view. The cave was behind us, and the train driver had regained control. We had done it. I sighed. We had survived a near fatal encounter with the feared Yeti. The train rumbled into the old station.

 

We exited through a shop with native peoples’ crafts on sale. There, we saw someone had snapped our picture while we hurled through the cavernous of the mountain. Exiting the store, I glanced back at the peaks of the mountain. It loomed out of the trees. Another orchestra of screams echoed through the caves. Expedition Everest is still open to those adventurers who dare brave the caves of the Yeti.

 

 

 

And on that note, have a magical day! (151 times)

 

 

 

 

Austin Weihmiller is a member of the Youth Travel Blogging Mentorship Program

 

All photos courtesy and copyright Austin Weihmiller