Jiuzhaigou - Day One

From the forests of Oregon to the tropical jungles of Hawaii to the natural rock formations of Utah to mountain tops in Asia, we thought we had seen some incredibly beautiful landscapes. But we were totally unprepared for what we saw in Jiuzhaigou (jew-jai-go). The guide books call it a fairyland: that is an understatement.

Here's a quick introduction to Jiuzhaigou. It is in northern Sichuan, a high mountain area populated by Tibetan minorities. This nature and panda reserve lies in connecting valleys. Alpine mountains tower above azure lakes lying at elevations of 2,000-4,000 meters (for you Oregonians, the peak of Mt. Hood is approximately 3,000 m.). The valley floor is a mosaic of rivers, waterfalls and lakes. It is heavily forested with pines and broadleaf deciduous trees. There are many Tibetan villages in the park: prayer wheels turn and colorful prayer flags flutter in the wind.

Our Story - Day One

We arrive at the park early in the morning. The main scenic area and first village is 5 kilometers from the entrance, so we hop on a shuttle bus bound for the village. Our plan is to find lodging and drop our (heavy) bags before we explore the park.

The springtime air is cool and crisp as we huddle together for warmth on the hard seats of the bus. A recent rain has left drops of moisture on the trees; leaves and pine needles shimmer like diamonds. The morning sun shines golden through the peeling bark of copper birch trees, the translucent red/gold squares seem to vibrate in the clear mountain air. On the hillsides, the new green leaves of the broadleaf trees contrast with the dark green of the conifers. Next to the road is a creek, rushing/ foaming over rocks in its path. Rod and I exchange looks of awe for the landscape - and we haven't even seen the first waterfall yet!

The approach to Shuzheng Lake is accompanied by ohs and ahs. We turn to look at the lake; our jaws drop open. The turquoise color seems artificial - how can water that color really exist? It is so clear that it is difficult to judge the depth - logs meters below the surface seem inches away. The mountains and trees are reflected crisply on the calm surface.

We soon discover, though, that Shuzheng Lake is not one lake, but a group of 40 lakes stretching for 13 kilometers. Each lake flows into the one below it, separated by calcium deposit dykes. The water flowing over the dykes form interesting waterfalls the entire width of the lake. It washes the roots of the mature trees and plants growing on the dykes. We can hardly wait until the bus stops so that we can walk the area.

The bus does not stop as expected at the village (nothing ever happens as expected in China), but pushes on to Long Lake at the end of the road. We pass many other colorful lakes and waterfalls on the trip, each different than the last. At Long Lake, we make a forced departure form the bus for the obligatory souvenir stop. We are swarmed by vendors in colorful Tibetan traditional clothes, but all we really want to do is shed our packs and get set up in a guesthouse. A woman approaches us and dresses us in traditional clothes. We decide it might be nice to have a picture of us looking Tibetan sitting on a Yak. We change our minds, though, when the price gets jacked up to pay for the clothes, yak and photo. We give the clothes back and rush for the closest bus, feeling once again the familiar anger at being nothing more than a walking dollar sign.

We manage to find a bus to take us back to the village at Shuzheng Lake. It is a dusty village, the humble buildings separated by narrow cobblestone streets. Women in the main square reverently approach a long line of prayer wheels, turning them as they recite their prayers. Colorful flags adorn the entrance.

We meet some Americans who recommend a nearby guesthouse. As we walk thorough the gate to the guesthouse, we feel that we are in the right place. The gate and roof beams are colorfully painted in the Tibetan style. When we reach the room, we are pleased with the interior. It is brightly painted with murals and there is a small shrine with a Buddha statue against one wall. We pay our $7.50 for the room, and then find out the downside...there is no hot water, the toilet does not flush, there is no heat and in the evening, the power goes out. Nothing is ever as expected in China.

We dump our bags hurriedly, anxious to view the lake. We follow the path along the lake which turns into a boardwalk. Don't believe what Lonely Planet says about Jiuzhaigou - there are more hiking trails than you can cover during your visit. The trails are all on boardwalks (which are NOT being ripped out) and are very well maintained. The boardwalks actually act to limit the impact of foot traffic on the fragile land. We walk for hours, stopping often to soak up the beauty of the waterfalls or to identify trees and birds or to admire the rhododendrons and azaleas in bloom. We stop only when hunger overcomes us and dusk darkens the trail.