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| aboard the #2 bus |
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| Yulong Scenic Area |
Not
too far south of Yangshuo there is a scenic area with various points
of interest in the Yulong River area. The Yulong is a tributary of
the Li Jiang. We decided to take the #2 bus that we had scouted out a few days earlier to Moon Hill, one of the points of interest along the scenic
route.
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| Moon Hill |
Moon
Hill is an unusual karst peak with a hole in it that, from a
distance, looks like a half moon and, according to the tourist
literature, can change shape from full circle to crescent as you
change your vantage point. Well, perhaps whoever wrote the tourist
brochure was a little over excited or, maybe, a little intoxicated. It
looked mostly like a half moon to me.
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| almost there |
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| 800 steps is 800 steps marble or not |
Moon
Hill was the third of my “hundreds of steps” challenges after
Yellow Dragon Cave in Wulingyuan and the steps up to the pavilion
overlooking the Dong Village in Sanjiang. A notice informed me that
it was “about 800 stairs paved with marble” up to the hole in the
wall called Moon Hill. Marble, granite, concrete or old railroad
ties, 800 steps is 800 steps. Since we were there, there was no point
in not climbing the 800 steps to reach the “moon”.
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| the view from the "Moon" |
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| a fire to warm your backside |
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| "Yeah, whatever, it's cool by me!" |
a It
was a slog but we managed to reach the threshold of the moon and
were immediately accosted by some old ladies not much younger than me
selling souvenirs and drinks. We marveled that these crones climbed
that damned hill every day to make a little extra income while we
were huffing and puffing—the stamina and hardiness of these people
is impressive. It's embarrassing to admit how spoiled and soft we
are. The old girls were good sports though. It was a bit chilly up
there and they had a nice fire going, so I bought a Coke and sat by
the fire and engaged in some good-natured bantering with them while
they tried to sell their postcards and more drinks as we all
sat and mugged for the camera. Guess I can still turn a few heads . .
. as long as they're over 65. Great fun!
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| the 1500-year-old Banyan Tree |
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rope-man seems to be
talking on a smart phone |
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branch braces are actually living tree trunks
ingrown with the branches of the Banyan Tree |
After
climbing back down the hill we walked a couple kilometers along the
scenic road to a 1500-year-old Banyan Tree. Apart from its impressive size, the interesting thing about the tree is that
it has living trees for supports that are actually grafted to the
Banyan. The Banyan Tree is popular with visitors of all ages—mugging
for the camera, taking a raft to a cave across the pond, entertained by a quartet of performing monkeys. . .
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holes in the limestone are a common feature
of the karst mountains |
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| bamboo raft and raftsman |
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| performing monkeys . . . resting |
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| performing madames . . . tadaaa |
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| "Let's see, what can I shoot next?" |
After leaving the Banyan Tree we continued walking another couple
kilometers to the Yulong River bridge. Rafting
on the Yulong River is a popular tourist activity and the People's
Bridge is the terminal point for rafting trips.
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| Yulong River rafting terminal from People's Bridge |
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| any old port in a storm |
After all that
walking and climbing the “marble stairs” we were tired and caught
a bus back to town. After a no fuss no muss junk food fix at the
local Burger King in Yangsuo we spent the evening resting at the
Nana Hotel. I worked on my notes and photos while R.B. worked on her blog
(she can log on to hers in China—it's not, unlike mine, blocked).
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