Sunday at the Bamboo Sea

Trip Start Apr 17, 2010
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Trip End Jul 02, 2010


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Flag of China  , Sichuan,
Sunday, May 23, 2010

We got up bright and early to join our guests, Ping and her husband, Mao, on a journey to the high mountain seas. Through thick fog, we made our way to the southern part of the Sichuan Province, where the Bamboo Sea is located. The Bamboo Sea, 70 km southeast of Yibin, is a 120 square meter area densely covered in many types of bamboo in many groves and peaks. The mountain side elevations vary from 600 - 1,000 meters. Many people live in the area, making their living from growing, harvesting, or making/selling goods made from bamboo. The roads were good, though narrow and winding. Many close calls as we wound our way up to the top. Chinese drivers continue to amaze us with what we westerners might consider unsafe driving. We now have a favorite new word, "Mán!", meaning, "Slow down!"

By the time we arrived, the fog had lifted. It was another beautifully clear, sunny day
Entrance of Bamboo Sea
Entrance of Bamboo Sea
! First, we stopped for a breakfast of noodles at a roadside restaurant. Next door, a local carver was creating beautiful statues from bamboo. The people of the area were very proud of the the bamboo and used it for almost anything.

Once within the sea, the views were spectacular! We went to several locations, including a high observation tower which allowed us breathtaking vistas of the bamboo sea. It did look like a sea, with the tops of the trees looking like ripples or waves along the ridges. Some varieties towered over 10 meters above us. It was an awesome experience. We also climbed 370 steps (Ms. Long counted them) to Longyin Temple, one of many temples nestled in the mountainsides, which also meant we walked 370 steps down!

Once we recovered from the climb, we went to one more scenic place, a small lake surrounded by bamboo and lush ferns. There, we got on a bamboo boat. It was built with a base of 12 large 6-in. diameter bamboo stalks lashed together, then about 15 medium-sized 3-in. stalks making a deck for us to stand and sit on. Each of us had a bamboo stool and a long, bamboo oar for rowing. We got a good workout rowing the boat around the lake. We pulled up to a lakeside restaurant and had a lunch of bamboo and mushroom from the area. We got back on our boat and rowed back to the dock. Needless to say, we both got some sun from being out during the middle of the day! It felt good to feel the gentle breezes and the warmth of the sun after so many gray days.

We drove back to Nanxi and sadly had to say goodbye to our guests. They had a long drive ahead of them back to Mianyang. We took loooong late-afternoon naps. Tomorrow, we continue our teaching experiences with the junior and senior high school students.
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Comments

Dwight A Kealiher on

John, I really enjoyed the pics of the Bamboo Sea. That must have been an awesome sight to see first hand.
Dwight

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