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Published: November 1st 2007
A big hello to Big John and the folk in Skeggy.
We're now in San Jiang, and have had several excellent days cycling along the left bank of the Duliu river to get here. We have now spent over 300 kms in the company of the river. It started off narrow and shallow, clean with a deep green-blue colour. Now it is broad, deep and moves lazily. Villages of wooden houses are dotted on either bank. The main industry seems to be harvesting of the timber on the far bank, and we watched the pine trunks being slid down the steep slopes to the river bank where they are manhandled to the river for transportation to the near side. One man carries a single small trunk over his shoulder, while the larger trunks are carried by two or four men using slings and wooden yokes. On the near bank the old tumbledown houses are being replaced with new timber ones. With the ground floor holding stores, and the upper level living space, they remind me of the buildings that we saw in Slovenia. On the river we saw fishermen setting out with cormorants, but sadly didn't glimpse them in action.
Small, flat boats ferry villagers to and fro across the river. At one point we were stopped on the road by a young lad enthusiastically waving a red flag: they were just about to do some blasting on the river bank ahead. As the enormous explosions fired off, we had our photographs taken with the construction gang. The previously enthusiastic flag-waver became rather shy at this point, and took much ribbing from his mates.
Yesterday was a challenge. Someone had forgotten to tarmac the road between Cong Jiang and San Jiang: 100 kms of rubble and dust. With every vehicle that passed we were enveloped in a cloud of choking, blinding dust. We rattled and jolted along, focused on reaching San Jiang before dark, as there was no accomodation on the riverside road. Indeed, we were just about to make it when, 13 kms from home, we were stopped by a road blockage. Stones and earth blocked the way - a collapsed embankment as a result of excavations. While 45 minutes of precious daylight ebbed away, an earth mover was clearing a path which just us and the 4 wheel drives could get through. Got within 6 km of
San Jiang before total inky blackness descended. We finished the journey by the narrow beam of our bike lights, calling out obstacles such as: large hole to the left; rocks ahead; big river on the right! We were chased by several unseen barking dogs, loosed from a nearby building. We arrived at the hotel white with dust from head to toe. By the alchemy of a good, hot shower within 20 minutes we were clean, respectably dressed and perusing the offerings at a local eatery. A small, skinny dog, with slender feet was available. It reminded me of a whippet. Also on offer were some unidentified parts, possible the private parts of a previously well-endowed owner. As we finished our fine (beef) dinner, a group of well-dressed chinese men came along. The made straight for the delicatessen counter: whippet all round, as featured in that best-selling chinese recipe book "Wok your Dog".
Today we have been along to see the famous and rather fine bridge of wind and water in the village of Cheng Yang.
PS Strangely, the fugitive rat of Ping Ba has made a reappearance, along with a mate, hanging by his feet from a small
wooden frame and being proudly carried down San Jiang high street.
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Kerry
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Cleaning the guttering
Hiya, Just caught up on your last few blogs. It all sounds amazing. I'm thinking you are not going to want to come back to us boring lot in Derby. Just to let you know that today I have been up a ladder cleaning the guttering. The weather is really mild here - bout 15 degrees yesterday. Can I be the first to wish Big John Happy Birthday for Monday!