1990年7月我們從西雅圖機場入境。先在J的大姐家住了兩天。從她家乘渡輪不用一小時就可以到西雅圖市區。西雅圖市中心的派克農貿市場(Pike Place Market)裡，有一家魚市很有特色，一條條新鮮的大魚擺攤上架、包裝銷售，都要被興高采烈的、身系圍裙足蹬黑膠長靴的魚販帥哥們，攤前台後地掄拋接送，他們一邊空中飛魚，一邊插科打諢詼諧逗樂，令遊客駐足。
出了農貿市場往海灣走，我們在遊客如織的艾略特灣(Elliott Bay)找了一個傍水的露天餐桌，在暖洋洋、慵懶的氛圍裡，我們美美的吃了一頓海鮮。用辣椒醬（Tabasco）和新鮮檸檬汁調味，清蒸蛤蜊味道好極了，一點也不輸於用蔥姜蒜爆炒的。
幾隻海鷗在水邊掠過，有的在分搶食客們丟給它們的薯條，有的停在木樁上單腿獨立閉目打盹兒。
遛噠著，我們就拐進了54號碼頭附近的一家老古董店(Ye Olde Curiosity Shop)。門口豎著的幾根色彩斑斕、神秘古怪、承傳著印第安人幾千年文化信息的木質圖騰柱，柱上的獸鳥魚蛙都睜著眼睛默默地注視著行人，向過客無聲地訴說著令人費解的古老的傳說與寓意。
店內的擺設有些顯得擁擠隨意，掛靠攤放雜亂無章，有印第安和愛斯基摩(Eskimo)藝術品、有俄羅斯套娃(matreshka)、有神秘怪異的面具圖騰，有鐘錶珠寶收藏、有土著的陶器編織，以及華盛頓州和西雅圖地域紀念品。
無意間一轉身，冷不防的可怕的但保存完好的木乃伊就站在了身邊的玻璃櫥窗裡，雙手抱在胸前張大了嘴朝你無聲吶喊著，令人汗毛倒豎，不敢與之對視。更為令人驚愕加恐懼的是，在陳舊的櫥櫃裡居然看到了幾個小小的表情可怖的毛髮俱全風乾了的真人頭！當時的感覺是既噁心又好奇，既想立馬逃離又想看個究竟。一時還納悶兒，這幾個人頭怎麼會這麼小，難道世界上還真有小人國？怎麼店裡會有這些東西？不犯法嗎？
出了門，在盛夏當午溫暖的陽光裡我的脊樑還直滲寒氣。J說這是一家不收入場券的具有博物館性質的老古玩店。
原來，這種人頭叫萎縮人頭(Shrunken Heads)，通過複雜的工序剔除了頭骨做成的，以此而著名的南美印第安土著舒阿爾(Shuar)人稱萎縮人頭為Tsantsa。
前哥倫布(pre-columbian)時期，萎縮人頭的製作在南美洲的安第斯地區(Andean area)很普遍。厄瓜多爾海岸的印第安土著人，將殺死的敵人頭顱割下製成萎縮人頭作為戰利品，提高自己的榮譽、知名度與威嚴，並用以祭祀祖先。擁有萎縮人頭就像戰士獲得榮譽勳章。
他們認為不僅是要殺死敵人的肉體，更重要的是要佔有、征服和摧毀死者的靈魂，不讓鬼魂再來侵害陰陽兩界已故的、在世的、以及未出生的家族成員，製作萎縮人頭便是達到這個目的的手段。
萎縮人頭不僅對死者本人，而且也是對死者的整個部落意味著一種致命的侮辱。
19世紀末20世紀初，西方人購買萎縮人頭的需求，導致土著人之間的殺戮劇增，用一把獵槍就能交換一個萎縮人頭，1930年代一個萎縮頭只賣25美金。後來經秘魯和厄瓜多爾政府共同努力，終於取締了這項交易。自1940年代以來，萎縮人頭進口到美國已屬非法。
第二天，J開車帶我來到了華盛頓州的瑞尼爾山國家公園(Mt. Rainier National Park)，去體驗一下什麼是洪荒遠古。
公園佔地近一千平方公里，四千多米高，頂部終年積雪的華盛頓州最高峰瑞尼爾山，被數條大冰川覆蓋著，貌似寧靜地處於公園正中間。它是一座活火山，誕生於290萬年到84萬年前，最近的噴發在100多年前。
我們在瑞尼爾山南邊的天堂谷(Paradise Valley)附近轉悠，尼斯闊利冰川(Nisqually Glacier)在天堂谷左邊。
站在冰河大橋上眺望尼斯闊利冰河，頓感物我兩忘。從瑞尼爾山的源頭流到這裡大約有125公里，不敢想像如今安然躺在冰川谷底裡的每一顆碎石砂礫曾經有過怎樣的驚險經歷。
站在尼斯闊利冰川的邊緣凝固了的凹凸不平灰白相揉的積雪上，在炎熱的夏天裡踏著古老的冰川，令人恍惚沉醉不辨古今。附近一個工作站的木屋裡走出一位科研工作者告訴我們，等到我們下次再來時，腳下踏的很可能就不再是冰川了，因為這冰川在過去的一百年中經歷了大量的退縮，並將緩慢持續地退縮著。夏季的高氣溫及冬季的降雪量低都會加速冰川萎縮速度。
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| 那一刻，彷彿置身於人間仙境 Lost in a living fairytale. |
這座跨越尼斯闊利河(Nisqually River)的小木橋算是相當精緻的了。沿著步道遠足轉大山一圈大約150公里。
高約60米的那拉達瀑布(Narada Falls)位於天堂谷西南方向不到5公里處。瀑布的嘩嘩水聲似乎能淨化身心。
位於天堂谷南邊5~6公里處有片倒影湖，我們去的那天雲山霧罩雪山之顛時隱時現倒映在寧靜的湖面上，顯得神秘朦朧。能見度好的時候藍天下的雪山倒映在寧靜的湖水之中分外端莊清麗。喜歡坐在這無人之境，什麼也不想……
離去前的一個回眸，雪山腳下的農莊依然美不勝收。
離開了瑞尼爾雪山後我們還去了位於美國西北角的奧林匹克國家公園（Olympic National Park），在溫帶雨林的苔蘚殿堂（Hall of Mosses）穿行。那是賀伊溫帶雨林中的一小塊相對平緩的林地，那裡古木參天、蕨類叢生、鬱鬱蔥蔥；一條不到一英里的步道迂回環繞其間。絕大多數的古木都有百年樹齡，有的依然挺立、有的老態龍鍾；環顧四周，滿目的枝干穿插、藤蔓纏繞、盤根錯節。然而，棵棵樹幹都附生著厚厚的苔蘚或地衣，條條樹枝簾幕似的垂掛著長長的絲須青苔。走在期間令人感覺有點兒夢幻又有點陰森怪異。尤其是幾乎沒有幾個遊人。
走出林子來到海灘，濤聲拍岸陽光明媚，感覺身心一下子舒展開了，一掃剛剛苔蘚殿堂帶給人的陰森詭異。長長的海岸線上，散佈著許多被風浪雕琢的奇岩怪石，一個遊人都不見。
沙灘上到處是被海水衝上岸的浮木。從一棵樹變成一根浮木要經過多少歲月、漂泊多少裡水路？我挑了幾塊浮木準備帶回去。
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| 2013年在Lake Erie湖边捡的浮木 Driftwood found on the shore of Lake Erie in 2013 |
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| 2013年家中的龍舌蘭與漂流木 Agave and driftwood at home, 2013 |
幸運的是每次旅行，包括在國內時參加所裡的攝制組去深山老林名山大川，我都只是跟著走，事先根本不看資料了解一下所要去的地方。當然那時信息缺乏還沒有互聯網。因而一路上的所見所聞，我都覺得好新鮮、好神奇、好壯觀。這次繼西雅圖之行也是耳目一新，還踏上了古老的冰川。
這張吹蒲公英球球的照片，快門搶在了吹氣前的一剎那，每次看到這張照片，心裡都會想：多麼想把這棵蒲公英的花絮吹得紛紛揚揚~~
第二天我們在離開公園的US-101國道上令人痛心地看到國家公園以外的原始森林裡有被大肆砍伐過的荒山禿嶺。據資料，1988年公園將近96%被列為荒野不准任何形式的開發。
1990年的那個夏天，我們還去了美國東北部與加拿大安大略省交界處的尼亞加拉大瀑布(Niagara Falls)。源於伊利湖(Lake Erie)的尼亞加拉河水，彎彎曲曲千里迢迢，款款流經至此，在河道90度的急轉彎處遇到了落差50多米的斷崖，陡然之間，河水飛流直下、霧氣彌漫騰空、響聲震撼如雷。
想像那些幸運的見過大自然原始狀態的古人，沒有現代設施與大樓的視覺干擾，放眼荒古感受天地，那將是怎樣的震撼啊~~那時候，大瀑布的氣勢遠比現在要磅礴壯觀得多。美加兩國為了保護這裡的生態環境，降低陡崖岩石被溶蝕強度、減緩瀑布向上游方向的後退，做了大量的河水分流、崖壁加固等努力。
馬蹄形瀑布後面的斷崖中有兩條延伸40多米長的隧道，隧道盡頭有個窗戶大小的開口，瀑布如同厚重的簾幕一樣在洞前不捨晝夜地飛墜著。
水珠加著細雨撲面而來，濕寒裹著陰森滲人脊背，在威力無比的大自然面前所有的只是敬畏。
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From Primeval Forests to Driftwood: An Encounter with Ancient Antiquity
In July 1990, we entered the United States through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. We spent our first two days staying at J’s eldest sister’s house. From her place, a ferry ride of less than an hour would take us right into downtown Seattle. In the heart of the city lies the Pike Place Market, where there is a very unique fish market. Fresh, massive fish are displayed on stands and packaged for sale, all while being flung, tossed, caught, and passed back and forth across the counters by cheerful, handsome fishmongers sporting aprons and black rubber boots. As they fly fish through the air, they exchange witty banter and cracks, drawing crowds of captivated tourists.
Leaving the market, we walked toward the bay and found a waterfront outdoor table at the bustling Elliott Bay. Immersed in the warm, lazy atmosphere, we treated ourselves to a wonderful seafood meal. Seasoned with just Tabasco sauce and fresh lemon juice, the steamed clams tasted absolutely divine—not a single bit inferior to those stir-fried with scallions, ginger, and garlic.
A few seagulls swept across the water's edge; some scrambled for French fries tossed by diners, while others perched on wooden pilings, dozing off on a single leg with their eyes closed.
Strolling along, we ducked into Ye Olde Curiosity Shop near Pier 54. Standing by the entrance were several colorful, mysterious, and bizarre wooden totem poles that carried thousands of years of Native American cultural heritage. The beasts, birds, fish, and frogs carved onto the pillars stared silently at passersby, wordlessly telling cryptic, ancient legends and allegories to those who walked past.
Inside, the displays felt crowded and casual, arranged in a chaotic yet fascinating clutter. There were Native American and Eskimo handicrafts, Russian nesting dolls (matreshka), eerie and exotic ceremonial masks, collections of clocks and jewelry, indigenous pottery and weaving, as well as souvenirs of Washington State and the Seattle region.
Turning around inadvertently, I was caught completely off guard by a frightening yet well-preserved mummy standing inside a glass display case right next to me. Its hands were crossed over its chest, and its mouth was wide open in a silent scream. It made my hair stand on end, and I didn't dare to look it in the eye. Even more shocking and terrifying was a nearby weathered cabinet containing several tiny, horrifying, dry human heads, complete with all their hair! At that moment, I felt a mix of disgust and curiosity—desperate to flee instantly, yet compelled to take a closer look. For a moment, I wondered how these human heads could be so small. Did a "Land of Lilliput" actually exist in the world? How could a shop carry such things? Wasn't it illegal?
Stepping back outside into the warm, mid-summer afternoon sun, a chill still lingered down my spine. J explained that this was an admission-free antique shop with the character of a museum.
As it turned out, these artifacts are known as Shrunken Heads. They were made through a complex process that involved removing the skull. The Shuar people, an indigenous South American tribe famous for this practice, called these shrunken heads Tsantsa.
During the pre-Columbian era, the practice of shrinking heads was widespread in the Andean area of South America. Indigenous tribes along the Ecuadorian coast would sever the heads of slain enemies and shrink them into trophies to enhance their own honor, prestige, and authority, as well as to worship their ancestors. Possessing a shrunken head was much like a warrior receiving a medal of honor.
They believed that it was not enough to merely destroy an enemy’s physical body; it was vital to capture, conquer, and subdue the soul of the deceased. This prevented the ghost from returning to harm family members—whether deceased, living, or yet unborn—across both worlds. Making a shrunken head was the means to achieve this end.
A shrunken head represented a fatal insult, not only to the deceased individual but to their entire tribe.
Between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Western demand for purchasing shrunken heads led to a sharp surge in warfare and killing among indigenous peoples. A single shotgun could be traded for a shrunken head, and by the 1930s, one sold for just 25 USD. Eventually, through the joint efforts of the Peruvian and Ecuadorian governments, the trade was banned. Since the 1940s, importing shrunken heads into the United States has been illegal.
The next day, J drove me to Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington State to experience the raw grandeur of primeval antiquity. The park spans nearly a thousand square kilometers. Towering at over 4,000 meters, Mt. Rainier—the highest peak in Washington State with its summit capped in year-round snow—sits squarely in the center of the park, seemingly at peace. It is an active volcano that formed between 2.9 million and 840,000 years ago, with its most recent eruption occurring just over a century ago.
We wandered near Paradise Valley on the south side of Mt. Rainier. The Nisqually Glacier sits to the left of the valley. Standing on the glacier bridge and looking out at the Nisqually Glacier, I instantly felt a sense of losing myself in the vastness of nature. Flowing roughly 125 kilometers from its source on Mt. Rainier to this point, it was impossible to imagine what kind of perilous adventures each piece of gravel and sand, now resting peacefully at the bottom of the glacial valley, had once endured.
Standing on the edge of the Nisqually Glacier, surrounded by frozen, rugged, ash-blended snow, stepping onto an ancient glacier in the heat of summer left me in a daze, losing all track of time. A researcher stepping out of a nearby workstation cabin told us that by the time we visit next, what we step on might no longer be a glacier. This glacier has experienced significant retreat over the past century and will continue to retreat slowly but steadily. High summer temperatures and low winter snowfall both accelerate the pace of glacial shrinkage.
Circling the volcano and following the contours of the mountain forests, winding up and down in a zig-zag pattern, runs the Wonderland Trail. Whenever it encounters deep gorges or roaring rivers, suspension bridges and cable bridges bridge the gap; when meeting small streams or shallow shoals, simple log bridges made of thick tree trunks and wooden stakes provide a crossing. Everything blends naturally into the landscape. This small wooden bridge crossing the Nisqually River was considered quite exquisite. Hiking the entire trail around the great mountain spans about 150 kilometers.
Narada Falls, standing about 60 meters high, is located less than 5 kilometers southwest of Paradise Valley. The roaring sound of the waterfall seemed to cleanse both mind and body.
About 5 to 6 kilometers south of Paradise Valley lies Reflection Lake. On the day we visited, the mountains were shrouded in clouds and mist, and the snow-capped summit appeared and vanished fitfully, reflected on the tranquil surface of the lake, looking mysterious and ethereal. When visibility is clear, the snow-capped mountain under the blue sky reflects in the peaceful waters with striking elegance and purity. I love sitting in this realm of absolute solitude, thinking of nothing at all...
Glancing back one last time before leaving, the farmlands at the foot of the snow-capped mountain remained breathtakingly beautiful.
After leaving Mt. Rainier, we also headed to Olympic National Park, situated in the northwestern corner of the United States, to walk through the Hall of Mosses in the temperate rainforest. It is a relatively level patch of woodland within the Hoh Rain Forest, where ancient trees reach for the sky, ferns grow in abundance, and lush greenery abounds. A trail of less than a mile loops through it. Most of the ancient trees are centuries old—some still standing tall, others showing their great age. Looking around, the view is filled with intersecting branches, twisting vines, and gnarled, tangled roots. Yet, every single trunk is blanketed in thick moss or lichen, and long, wispy curtains of green moss hang from the branches like veils. Walking through it feels a bit dreamlike, yet also somewhat eerie and exotic—especially since there were hardly any other tourists around.
Stepping out of the forest and onto the beach, the sound of waves crashed against the shore under the bright sunshine. My body and mind felt instantly liberated, sweeping away the eerie gloom left by the Hall of Mosses just moments before. Along the endless coastline lay scattered, strange rock formations sculpted by the wind and waves, without a single tourist in sight. The sandy beach was strewn everywhere with driftwood washed ashore by the sea. How many years, and through how many miles of drifting across waterways, does it take for a tree to become a piece of driftwood? I picked out a few pieces of driftwood, planning to take them back with me.
Fortunately, on every trip—including back in China when I joined the institute’s filming crew to venture into deep forests and famous mountains—I always just followed along without reading any background material beforehand to learn about our destinations. Of course, information was scarce back then, and the internet did not exist yet. As a result, everything I saw and heard along the way felt incredibly fresh, magical, and spectacular. This journey following Seattle was an eye-opener as well, even allowing me to set foot on an ancient glacier.
This photograph of me blowing a dandelion ball caught the shutter just a split second before the breath left my mouth. Every time I look at this picture, I can't help but think: How I long to blow the seeds of this dandelion, sending them scattering far and wide...
The next day, on US Route 101 as we left the park, it was heartbreaking to see barren hills and bald ridges that had been heavily logged in the old-growth forests just outside the national park boundaries. According to records, nearly 96% of the park was designated as wilderness in 1988, prohibiting any form of development.
In that summer of 1990, we also visited Niagara Falls, located on the border between the northeastern United States and Ontario, Canada. Originating from Lake Erie, the waters of the Niagara River wind their way over great distances, flowing gently to this point. At a sharp 90-degree turn in the riverbed, they encounter a cliff with a drop of over 50 meters. Suddenly, the river plunges straight down, mist fills the air soaring into the sky, and the sound thunders with earth-shaking power.
I imagine those fortunate ancients who witnessed nature in its pristine state, free from the visual clutter of modern facilities and high-rises—looking out at the primeval wilderness to feel heaven and earth, what a profound shock that must have been! Back then, the momentum of the great falls was far more grand and majestic than it is today. To protect the ecological environment here, reduce the erosion intensity of the cliff rocks, and slow the retreat of the falls upstream, both the U.S. and Canadian governments have made extensive efforts, including river diversion and cliff reinforcement.
Deep within the cliffs behind the Horseshoe Falls lie two tunnels extending over 40 meters long. At the end of the tunnels is a window-sized opening, where the waterfall plunges relentlessly before the cave day and night like a heavy curtain.
Water droplets mixed with fine mist sprayed over my face, and a damp chill laced with an eerie cold seeped into my spine. In the presence of such almighty nature, nothing remains but pure awe.
特別感謝 Gemini AI 提供充滿活力的翻譯和文本潤色。
Special thanks to Gemini AI for providing the spirited translation and text refinement.
第四百三十八篇
