Floating Boats

Sunny Mornings:

We were going to wake early and set an alarm for 5:30am, the time we were told to wake to catch a boat to see the sunrise on the island in the middle of the lake. The incessant alarm wasn't enough to get us out of bed. The temperature outside was too chilly, and we were cozy under the covers, so we fell back asleep. The roosters tried to rouse us several times, but we were far too comfortable. The curtains began to glow with the beginnings of a sunrise, and Fan rose to open them so we could watch it from the bed. We both quickly rummaged for our cameras and waited for the full sun to peak over the mountains to the East. I had never imagined that I would be able to watch the sun rise over the mountains from bed through a sliding glass door. It was truly awe inspiring.

We both then got ready for breakfast and switching hotels. We packed everything and went down stairs to see what was for breakfast. I ordered an American style breakfast. The first I have ever ordered while in China (not including the buffet breakfasts at the hotels in Hong Kong and Dongguan). The plate was huge filled with 2 slices of bacon, scrambled eggs, 2 pieces of toast, and french fries. Fan ordered a Chinese breakfast which was much cheaper than mine. I also ordered a coffee, since it was of the freshly ground persuasion that is extremely difficult to find in China. I made it through 1 piece of bacon, 3/4 of the eggs and some of the french fries before I was stuffed. Despite my excitement at having American food, I realized that my stomach couldn't hold enough to make it worth my while. The hotel's dogs really liked us after breakfast. We saved the toast to feed to the birds on our boat ride out to the island.

If there was a cloud in the sky, I didn't find it. The sun beamed down on the water shimmering and glittering as we made our way to the other hotel. Or spirits were high, despite our inability to get more passengers for our trip. We were going to pay 65 RMB per person to get a VIP trip out to the center of the lake, then the the Goddess Mountain and back to the hotel. It was a days worth of travel, and lots of work for our boat drivers. It was expressed to us, prior to setting out, that we would need two people to set the boat into the lake and make it to the center. We were willing to pay the price for such a special trip. As we set out, the elderly couple took their places on the wooden boat. The woman was at the head of the boat, with the large Canoe ore, and the man was at the back with the thinner ore, steering the pig-trough boat. The only boats allowed on the lake were these wooden traditional boats. They were a canoe of sorts, made from multiple pieces of wood with joints carved to match one another. I am not certain what type of sealant they used, but the boat was not quite water tight. By the time we reached the center of the lake, we were in about an inch deep puddle of water that the couple started removing as we exited the boat to go explore for a bit.

They had dropped us off at a set of concrete stairs, leading up to the top of the hill that was the island. The steps were reasonably easy to ascend, and we were greeted with a large house overlooking the lake. The house belonged to Joseph F. Rock for 27 years between 1922 and 1949. Information on Rock can be found here:

http://huntbot.andrew.cmu.edu/HIBD/Departments/Archives/Archives-HR/Rock.shtml

Just at the top of the hill was a Buddhist temple and a small garden. The resident came out for a bit, with his dog. The flowers in the garden were lush and beautiful, but obviously untamed. There were bees and butterflies flitting about in the midst of all the flowers. It was wonderful to see all the colors and contrast high on the hill with the mountains for a backdrop.

Once we finished taking photos and exploring, we headed back to the boat where the man a woman had finished evacuating the water that had accumulated during our ride over. They were taking a break and readily loaded back on to the boat when we arrived.

The oars in the water were mesmerizing. The patterns that traced our path as we pushed through the small waves trailed us. We relaxed on the way to the foot of the Goddess Mountain. The sun was well past it's zenith, and the time was about 1pm. We were ready for some lunch, so Fan made sure we could find some in the village at the foot of the mountain. We were assured that we would be able to eat some food before out trip up the mountain, and that they would wait for us while we ate and possibly took a look at the Goddess Mountain itself.

The old man took us to a home, but the residents weren't there, so he brought us to the Sichuan restaurant near the gondolas. We were ready for a good meal, and Fan ordered some Hot Pot with tofu and eggs. It took a while for the food to be prepared, and in the mean time, Fan chatted with the restaurant/hotel owner. He offered to show us the view from their rooms, which cost only 60 RMB per night, since they weren't on the most beautiful section of the lake. He told us he would show us around for an hour if we wanted, for free. Fan liked the idea, and once we finished eating, we went to take a look at the hotel room. The room was beautifully clean and well decorated. We snapped a few photos of the view from the room and headed back out.

Our trip to explore the area surrounding the mountain was cut short by the man's request that we return to the boat. His explanation was very vague as to why he wanted us to return, but we went back to the boat and rode back to the hotel with him. His wife had already headed back on foot.

Once back at the hotel, still with no clear explanation, Fan set up two seats on a bus for us to head back in the morning around 8:40am. We were hungry, so we decided to head out for dinner. This was our last day on Lugu Lake, so we decided to have dinner at the Jazz Sofa, a hotel that is reported to be the place that Westerners stay during the summer tourism months. The food was decent and the atmosphere was relaxed.

When we left the restaurant, we found the pair from the bus was staying the room next door to us. We all had a nice chat and I went to bed early. Fan chatted with them for hours more, heading to bed long after I had fallen asleep, which was already after midnight.

We retired to our hotel after our full day of water and sun behind us.