A Little Rafting

A simple bike ride from our hotel to the famous Moon Hill left us disoriented and lost.  Unknowingly, we ended up traveling in a big circle and landed just a stone's throw from our hotel.  Apparently we missed the 'lane' to the right after the bridge, and took the left path instead.  Seriously, that must have been one narrow, brush covered lane.  We came to a dead end at a river just behind several British students who seemed as confused as we were considering they had asked us for directions a few miles back, and we had confidently told them which way to go.  Come to think of it they seemed slightly annoyed with us. As we were descended upon by the bamboo raft operators who in Chinese explained that our bikes would be safe, we each negotiated our passing fare.  Ten Yuan.  Fair enough.

Crossing the Yulong

We tentatively stepped onto the long, flat 'boat' as water began rushing through the large spaces between each bamboo pole.  No seat, just a slight rise on each end on which we were instructed to sit.  Okay, no problem.  Chris and I became separated from our bikes as our lady captain began to paddle the boat across the river using only a bamboo pole.  It was a deep river and the pole had not so much as a slight spread as a paddle on the end.  Just a bamboo pole.  I am still wondering how she moved us across that river so quickly.  Safely on the other shore, we were approached by several old women holding squirt guns.  They wanted us to buy them.  Hmmm...let's see.  What would happen if I were to squirt Chris with that river water...don't think he'd get over that one very quickly.  I passed on the squirt gun.

The river is called the Yulong.  It is a tributary of the larger Li River.  The Yulong is said to be one of the cleanest rivers in China.  It looks clean.  Many tourist go to the swimming holes along the river and I noticed at least one 'beach club'.  We are going to pass on the swimming also.

 




Just one of many 'tour guides' on the Yulong River

There must be thousands of bamboo rafts in different spots along the Yulong.  They are simple vessels. Seven or eight bamboo poles tied together, topped with not so comfortable looking lounge chairs protected by a beach umbrella.  Tourist flock to these and make a day of rafting down the river while being guided along by a local with a bamboo pole.  The squirt guns are part of the fun, apparently, but as I said we passed on that. 

Dear Violet:
Uncle Chris does not like pumpkin.  But that's what I was served for lunch yesterday. Good thing I had super nuclear hot chili soy sauce to go with it.  I would pick up a piece of pumpkin with my chopsticks and drop it into the pepper sauce before I ate it.  It was so spicy in my mouth I couldn't taste the pumpkin.
Love, Uncle Chris