At the beginning of the one week China National Day holiday of 2011, we rented a car, picked up the kids from school, and drove to Moganshan (莫干山) for a two-day getaway in the mountain. By around 7pm, we found ourselves driving on a one lane mountain road in pitch black darkness. Despite the detailed directions provided by the retreat, we made a wrong turn at about 1km from our destination. While doing the reverse of what to be a 3-point maneuver, we heard a loud bang, a sudden drop, and then all was still. “We are stuck!” Shuang exclaimed. But the fact was more distressing. A third of the car, the rear end, was hanging over a miniature cliff, and below were bushes and water. Fortunately, the engine at the front out weighted our luggage in the trunk. Even more fortunately, the kids stepped out from the back doors safely and nonchalantly before realizing the situation. The kids and I made a heroic attempt to push from the sides while Shuang tried to drive out of the perilous situation. Of course, other than getting the rear wheels to spin wildly in the air, nothing much was achieved. Thanks to the omnipresent China Mobile signal, we were able to call the retreat for help. Within minutes, a golf cart raced to the rescue. The four of us was sent to the retreat reception room in the cart. The young manager (a Malaysian) then took the car key from Shuang, led us through 250 stone steps to our little cottage, and promised to return with our car and bags while we enjoyed our pre-ordered dinner. Talk about top-notch service and challenging valet parking! The next day, we found out from the local lady who cleaned and cooked for us that a few strong men, a rope, and a jeep were used to pull up the car. “We were all so scared when we heard about the car, nothing like that ever happened here!” said the lady. Evidently, we made history! As for the car, we were able to drive it all the way back to Shanghai and returned it without a hitch. After the exciting start, we had an uneventful, refreshing stay at Moganshan. The food, all locally produced, and prepared in the cottage kitchen, was fresh and tasty. Even the vegetables and fruits have more intense flavor than those in Shanghai. Long hikes in the bamboo forest helped to further drum up our appetite. I had not seen Shuang eaten so much in a long time!