Sunday, November 11, 2012

Longji Rice Terraces (11/11/2012)

Sunday, November 11, 2012
Happy Veterans' Day!
Kent started the day by clapping the dried mud off Tamiko's shoes:
A stooped Zhuang woman head off to the fields:
Outside our room, a Pyrus pyrifolia/Asian Pear Tree:
Our Longji One Hotel provided a breakfast of fruit, fried eggs and a large crepe/pancake.
Avan met us at 8:30 to start our morning hike. We checked out of the hotel, hoisted our backpacks, and set off.
The younger Zhuang women are preparing bamboo tube rice:
There is quite a drop-off next to the path to the next village:
A local carries firewood?
KSS
Some of the other crops grown on the terraces include Ipomoea batatas/Sweet Potatoes:
Zingiber officinale/Ginger:
 
Colocasia esculenta/Taro:
Solanum melongena/Eggplant:
KSS
Some Rubus sp./Wild Raspberries:
KSS
Irrigation ditch:
Burned stalks in the rice terraces:
KSS
Heading down to another wind-and-rain bridge:
The Dong-style bridge is made with the wood of fir trees:
It is constructed without any nails:
KSS
Looking back at Viewpoint No. 1 with three red Chinese flags:
KSS
Harvested rice terraces:
A gardener's cottage?
Gourds:
Irrigation system:
Abies sp./Fir Tree:
Here and there, including in the village, were tombs:
KSS
Ficus sp./Figs:
It appeared that some of the terrace walls were made from bamboo fencing and dirt:
Most were made with stones:
A view of the Zhuang village of Guzhuangzhai:
Tamiko will avoid these steps:
KSS
Avan was willing to try them:
What appeared to be grape vines from a distance, turned out to be arbors of the vines of the Siraitia grosvenorii/Louhangguo:
KSS
A large yield from a few plants.
The kiwi-sized fruits:
They are dried and the innards are used for tea which is naturally sweet.
From a distance, the louhangguo arbors look like camouflage nets:
KSS
Persicaria longiseta/Asiatic Smartweed?
KSS
It is known as a weed of rice fields, so it fits here.
There are numerous little mountain streams:
What?! A rototiller:
KSS
They still use water buffalo to till most of the fields.
A sawmill:
KSS
Our hiking companions:
At the edge of Guzhuangzhai:
Rooftops:
Ducks at home in a water reservoir:
Local buses:
Guzhuangzhai:
KSS
Water-filled terraces:
Persicaria sp.?
KSS
Fancy framework for a fence for rope lighting:
Perhaps it is supposed to look like a dragon since Longji means Dragon's Spine or Back.
Water-filled rice terraces:
Guzhuangzhai and rice terraces:
Tamiko & Kent and rice terraces:
Avan
At another entry to the Longi Rice Terraces Scenic Area:
Avan
Panoramic view:
There are a lot of big stones in the terraces:
Drying tea fruit:
The seeds are used to make tea oil:
KSS
On our way back to Guilin, we ran into a road block:
(Continued with Guilin Hills and Mountains.)

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