CHINA 2010 SUNDAY 1st AUGUST

Again we were disturbed early by the workmen so we might as well make an early start. Keith would like to return to the ‘Botanical Garden’ which is just what we did and being so early it would be quiet.

We had a problem trying to hail a taxi but fortunately we were in the right place where one pulled up with passengers so as they climbed out we climbed in, Keith showing the driver where we wanted to go. We could have walked but plan to do that on our return home. Did I say it would be quiet – the car park was full and people were everywhere which annoyed Keith as they pushed in front of him at the Ticket Office and then he nearly fell over an upturned umbrella that someone had placed behind him whilst buying their tickets.
We were going to visit the Flower Garden today but the entrance through the West Gate is very narrow and we had to climb the steps with tour groups and dawdlers before taking a right turn up a steep hill. Passing the swings and climbing frames where visitors were reliving their childhood with not a child in sight we did what we always do and took a detour to climb more steps that lead us to the ‘Morning Toll of the Tianjie Temple’ where two men were carrying out major repairs and renovations to the Temple’s woodwork standing on bamboo scaffolding. I noticed that there was a distinct lack of men here but on our way up the steps to the entrance we had met a man coming down singing happily to the World. Keith wanted whatever he had been having!

Behind the Temple was even more steps leading to a large rock and “as we are here we might as well climb to the top”. In the grounds is a large burner where square sheets of deep yellow coloured paper representing money are burnt as an offering. We reached a point that gave us a good view of two women inserting large piles of ‘money’ into one of the ovens set around the ornate burner and after setting the ‘money’ alight closed the arched metal door. It wasn’t long before black smoke emerged out of the terracotta coloured chimney.
The route to the top reminded us of the mountain region in Anshan but nowhere near as gruelling. Plenty of exercise and hopefully more inches off the hips as we passed through narrow gaps in the boulders and using hand rails at the last stage to reach the summit going over a narrow bridge to reach another rock. More great views of the landscape and to our left a cable car going up another part of the mountainside.

Back down the narrow steps and continuing on the track which lead us over a large flat boulder with more small steps cut into the surface we arrived in an avenue of bright red hibiscus shrubs which attracted large swallowtail and other varieties of butterfly none of them stopping long enough to be photographed. We had met no one on our route apart from a couple of young ladies who joined us at the summit but they left before us. More steps up and more steps down but there was the road below us so it won’t be long before we are back to our original plan of visiting the Flower Garden. The shade was lovely and the variety of trees and rocks some with inscriptions made it very interesting. At last we came to a sign post carved in a large rock so heading left we were at least going down and did eventually reach the road. We had noticed several small coaches pass by and thought they were tour buses but a young girl stood by the side of the road under the shade of her ornate summer umbrella stopped one of these light brown coaches and climbed on board. Just think we could have been on one of those but look what we would have missed.

Studying the map of the Gardens if we headed down through the Cacti and Bamboo Gardens we should be heading in the right direction for the flowers. In the Desert Region we stopped for a beer only it wasn’t stored in the fridge and came in cans so I settled for a cold coke. This area was amazing with cacti of all shapes and sizes not to mention colour. Three concrete camels gave Keith the hump but that was before he had a beer! There were two large glasshouses to visit even though the temperature inside was 41 degrees. What a picture even plants that looked the same had different flowers and if you weren’t a lover of these spiky plants you could not help but admire them or the way they were displayed not only in pots but in colourful borders. Leaving the houses we continued our journey walking along dried up cobbled stream beds before reaching the road again.

Continuing downhill we came to the Palm section – whatever happened to the Bamboo? Again two choices and rather than go up again I suggested we went down. Another adventure walking alongside a pond walking over the stepping stones around a boulder more water more stepping stones and boulders to climb over to reach the ‘Rose Garden’. We had been here on our last visit and not a rose in sight but there was another beer stop!
The area was just as quiet as it had been on our first visit and whilst we enjoyed the ice cold beer we watched a large bird fly onto the lily pads on the pond. (This was a Chinese Pond Heron according to our twitcher friend Colin who we met on our Borneo holiday.)We had noticed a large turtle at the edge of the pool alongside a smaller one and on seeing the owner of the kiosk walk to the pond armed with what I can only describe as a cone shaped metal strainer attached to a long bamboo pole wondered if he was fishing for his supper. The turtles disappeared into the water so they won’t be on his plate tonight.

The idea of taking a cable car ride this afternoon passed and having been in the Park for 4 hours we decided to head for home. We were going to walk but a taxi pulled up at the entrance to the park so we rode home. The car park was almost empty now and then I remembered that if you went before 7am you got in free! We have discovered that on proof of age we can get in for half price.

Back home I had supermarket shopping to do but left it till late afternoon when it would be a little cooler only today it wasn’t. Thankfully ‘Rainbow’ has efficient air conditioning. I had left Keith to have a siesta but he said I had no sooner left our apartment than the banging began again. The posts and barriers are going back up again and should like nice once the polythene wrapping has been removed. I bet there will be some angry cyclists in the morning as I have watched many of them travel down with the traffic on the outside lane to cross over onto the kerb side of the oncoming traffic and continue cycling against the oncoming traffic.

It was a very late night for us as we wanted to watch the Hungarian Grand Prix that was being shown at 10.05 only the programme didn’t start until 10.30 after they were giving the results in the Sportsround up. We briefly changed channels before they had chance to spoil the race for us.