(If you are beginning to get tired of reading travel journals I am almost done here.  This is too good to let it pass.  Sorry folks!)

Jiuzhaigou

If I were to imagine a place of beauty I know I would never even come close to such a place.  It’s simply amazingly beautiful, just indescribable.  Credit must be given where it is due and the soul simply cries out

O Lord my God when I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the world thy hands hath made
I see the stars and hear the mighty thunder
Thy power throughout the universe display

When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze

The sings my soul, my Saviour God to thee
How great thou art, how great thou art!

 

 

He is a creative Creator after all.

Panda Lake, Jiuzhaigou

In the northwestern part of Sichuan province in China, there are some of the most beauftiful places on earth.  Every Chinese face would light up at the mention of Jiuzhaigou, the valley of the nine gullies.  They would repeat the chorus, ‘It’s a truly beautiful place, but I have never been there’.  Such was my plight for years as I have never made any serious attempt to get there.  But this summer we must go, it has been decided months before.

bamboo reed lake

We booked ourselves in advance at a hotel right at the entrance of Jiuzhaigou, and were planning to rest our bodies and souls in the middle of the alpine forest.  After days of meeting in Thailand I was really looking forward to getting there.

It was beautiful as we landed at the Jiuzhai-Huang Long airport.  The trip to Jiuzhaigou was longer than we expected but it was a beautiful journey.  We arrived at night at the hotel and we could not see anything much in the dark.

turquoise blue lake

It was exciting to wake up at the sound of a bubbling stream coupled with the chirps of birds in the morning.  We could see from our window that we were at the foot of a big mountain right beside the stream.  A restaurant was built across the stream and it was a stunning setting.

My spirit was a bit dampened in the morning as I saw thousands of tourists literally who descended upon the valley to enjoy the beauty of nature.  Made me wonder if there were really these many people who are making the first trip of their lives here at the same time as we did.  The next day was no different as thousands lined up to make their entry.  Well, that was unrealistic of me, I must have forgotten, albeit briefly, that I am in China after all.

nuorilang falls

Bruce and Cheryl had warned us that it costs to get to Jiuzhaigou and Huang Long.  We were prepared beforehand and it proved to be a good idea.  My preference would be to go to Jiuzhaigou in the autumn to see the crystal clear turquoise blue lake alongwith the different colours of leaves.  That is not to say however, that it’s not beautiful in summer.  Every season has its unique colour and beauty here.  It’s amazing to see this exact colour, turquoise blue, in the lakes.  It has to be seen to be believed and it’s a wow factor all along the way.

We rode the bus up to the Primeval Forest and walked down hill, enjoying the different formations and uniquely beautiful lakes.  What a thrill, what a privilege and what a joy it was to be there!

Huanglong

Huanglong simply means ‘yellow dragon’.  People here often see forms and shapes of animals in rocks, mountains and caves.  This particular mountain is supposed to be in the shape of a yellow dragon and there are legends and stories connected to the mountains and lakes but that’s another story.  “The calcium carbonate mineral deposit patterns and the golden hue of the water supposedly look like a dragon’s tail” explains the Lonely Planet.

Multi-Coloured Ponds

multi-coloured ponds

The decision to go there was by far the best we have made in all our journeys.  The journey took 3 hours top but it was totally worth it.  We took a cable car to the top and walked to the Multi-coloured ponds, behind the Tibetan Buddhist temple.  I was totally dumbfounded – what’s the word – could such a place really exist on earth?  Good heavens, this is just so incredibly beautiful!  The lake in summer was blue and green but it changes its colour every season due to the chemical composition of the lakes.  The water was crystal clear and wow words escaped me!

Glamorous ponds

Glamorous ponds

overcast on the way home

Such ponds are scattered along the way as we hiked downhill.  There were not as many people here as at Jiuzhai which was a bonus.  If I were to choose between the two exceedingly beautiful places, I would go for Huanglong without any hesitation as it was much quieter, peaceful and (it’s hard to say this) more beautiful.  Huanglong has been called many names including  ‘Wonder of the Earth’ and ‘Bath of Fairy Mother Goddess’ – that would not be unjustified at all if there was such a being.

self: not totally un-hitchcockian you see.