Right, so we're back at Guizhou & I'll finish up the part about HGS waterfall first. After a slippery and damp walk through the 12m high Shuilian Dong (Water Curtain Cave), we arrived at the foot of the falls took a couple of shots before crossing the suspension bridge where we met up with the Guiyang guides Xiao Ou and Xiao Yu. We were given a choice of paying for the escalator ride (cuz it's private runned) or climbing back up the steps that took us down to the falls. We elected to do the latter and although the climb back up was exhausting and really gave me an insight into how terribly out of shape I was, I do not regret our decision because on our way back up, we were treated to a beautiful view of the falls from the opposite bank and that was worth all the pain.
The Huanguoshu Waterfall is only the most famous and biggest of a cluster of waterfalls of which there are several other falls in this cluster of 18 falls which look quite worthy of a visit if one has the time and if one isn't on a packaged tour like mine. Being unable to really explore an area is one of the major drawbacks of travelling on a package tour and as I read up more and more about other people's experiences, the more I want to just take the backpacking route.
Map of the Huangguoshu and Tianxingqiao Scenic Areas
(courtesy of china-guide)
Some of the more notable falls in the Huangguoshu Scenic Area include the 410m high Dishuitan Waterfall, the 105m wide Duopotang Waterfall and the Luositan Waterfall just to name a few. Sadly, my trip didn't take me to these falls but if you're interested in what some of them look like click here.
I did, however, see another waterfall in the second half of the day after our visit to the Huangguoshu Waterfall. The price of the ticket to enter the Huangguoshu Waterfall Park also includes the entry fee to enter the Tianxingqiao Scenic Area (Bridge of Stars Scenic Area). The Tianxingqiao Scenic Area is 6 km downstream from the Huangguoshu Waterfall. This scenic area isn't as well known as the Huangguoshu Area but is no less fascinating. The area comprises of natural rock formations, caves and a very cool waterfall. The Sancha River runs through the Tianxingqiao Scenic Area and feeds the Yinlianzhui Waterfall (Silver Chain Waterfall). This fall really lives up to it's name as the water flows over several shoals into a little pool giving the fall a chain-like look.
Beware though, the Tianxingqiao Scenic Area is big and if you really want to take photos and explore, you'll need more than the 2 hours that we got. I was unfortunately stuck between person 30 and person 32 and had to keep moving which meant that I have zero photos of the lake area with it's stones half in and half out of water and it's many stepping-stones. I do have a few pictures of the lake after the stepping stones portion but it's not terribly impressive looking.
LC also took one snap shot of the lake but she was stuck between person 31 and person 33 so that's all we have, another shot of a not terribly impressive looking lake.
The park arranged for us to be accompanied by a guide who turned out to be rather young. He was 14, I think. We asked him and I remember him saying he was 14. He sounded really mature for his age though and he seemed really experienced as he rattled off the information without seeming to stumble once. Or at least he didn't stumble when I could actually hear him as he was soon off and at the head of the group while I lagged near the end and as a result heard very little, which was a pity as I would like to know what he had to say.
Admittedly, I was kinda disappointed at first. I suppose if I were a geologist or someone who knew anything about geology, I might have gone ooooo and ahhhhh at the first section of the park but unfortunately, I'm not that knowledgeable and I did not know how to appreciate that opening section of the park.
However, we soon came to the part with all the rock formations and by the time we crossed the naturally formed stone bridge, the park had already grown on me. =)
Stone structures and stone bridge (my photos)
LC's photos
After a brisk walk though the stone formation section, the calm waters quicken and begin to flow faster and faster till they all converge into one tiny pool to form the Yinlianzhui Waterfall.
The Sancha River (my photos)
LC's photo
Yinlianzhui Waterfall (my photos)
LC's photo
After the water, we still had more walking to do. It was more of the stone formations for a bit before we arrived at a cable-car station which would take us back to the beginning of our journey. I was really glad about that too as I was really exhausted from all the walking and it was beginning to get dark. I think a lot of us zipped though this portion except for the really avid photographers in the group. I wasn't one of them, I was too tired and cold and I was painfully reminded of just how unfit I was. Definitely will have to get fitter if I'm do another one of these trips again. =)
Anyway, after we all made it back to our buses, it was off for dinner and a good night's rest at the Huangguoshu Pingguan. And after 10 entries on Guizhou, I finally made it to the end of my first day of the trip. =)
cheers
p.s.
15th Oct 2011
- the transfer to the new blogger look seemed to have messed up some of my old posts... I didn't make major edits, just added two photos that went missing and fixed some of the formatting problems.
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